Boiler room safety audits add an extra layer of protection. Conducting an audit of your boiler room is a great way to introduce preventative maintenance practices. There are two main parts to a comprehensive audit: an inventory of boiler parts and an evaluation of boiler room efficiency. Having an up-to-date database makes it easy for you to order replacement parts. Then, an assessment of your boiler room allows you to identify the weak points in your boiler system. From there, you can schedule repairs and maintenance. One of the biggest benefits is an evaluation of your overall boiler efficiency in order to find ways to optimize your operation and create cost-savings.

Boiler room safety audits typically precede boiler inspections, and both are preventative procedures to ensure a reliable, safe and efficient boiler operation.

Boiler inspection is often mandated by jurisdiction and insurance companies to ensure your operation is compliant. According to the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors, a boiler inspector is a professionally trained and commissioned technical specialist charged with the examination of boilers. During this process, the inspection agency will shut down, drain, and disassemble your boiler to ensure it is up to the standards set by the NBIC, so it is important to prepare for this procedure far in advance.

In addition to inspecting the boiler, it is expected that you provide the boiler inspector with data and reports pertaining to the steam generating unit, graphical representations highlighting periods of operations, prescribed chemical treatment and any operational issues that have occurred since the last inspection. The boiler inspector then collects this information and provides a report that discusses cause and effect problems and the constructive action that should be taken.

It is recommended that a boiler inspection occurs annually. Both internal and external boiler inspections without pressure should be conducted. It is also suggested to conduct an external boiler inspection under pressure midway between annual inspections. An internal boiler inspection looks at the waterside areas of the vessel and fireside conditions.

After checking with the National Board and the manufacturer to confirm you need an inspection, you can call the state inspector to schedule an appointment. The official inspector will come to your job site to evaluate the waterside and fireside surfaces of your boiler. We recommend calling us ahead of your appointment, so our Powerhouse team can come out the day before the inspection to conduct a boiler room safety audit. We want to make sure that there are no issues with your inspection!

Boiler inspections typically take about four to six hours. It can take longer if there are issues that need to be addressed on-site. The boiler inspector concludes the visit with a written report that highlights the observed conditions and any constructive action that must be taken to fix certain issues.

There are many advantages to conducting a boiler room safety audit before an official inspection. Primarily, it ensures that you are aware of any potential issues and handle them before an inspector has the authority to pass or fail you. Additionally, safety audits can result in financial, compliance and reliability benefits for your boiler system.

While it might seem like an additional cost to conduct a safety audit, there are long-term cost savings associated with this service. Identifying and handling potential issues could reduce boiler emergencies and costs, and moreover, increase the lifetime value of your equipment. Understanding the boiler room efficiency in this process could also provide key takeaways on how to optimize your operation, which would lead to fuel cost savings. On the other side, one of the worst-case scenarios would be if you failed the boiler inspection. Your entire operation could be shut down costing you even more money than if you incorporated preventative measures in the first place.

It is important to be compliant with the safety regulations mandated by your jurisdiction and boiler manufacturer. Having a boiler room audit is a good way to ensure that you will meet those standards. After all, safety is one of the most important considerations in running a boiler room.

Even after all of that, conducting an audit gives you the peace of mind that you’re running a safe and reliable operation. If you know that everything is up to code, in the right place and running smoothly, then you can be confident that no significant damage should occur due to a lack of care and responsibility.

At Powerhouse, we offer an annual safety audit designed to ensure that you meet the requirements to pass your boiler inspection. During this annual service, we will provide the following in our visit:

There are two ways that we can conduct a boiler room safety audit for your business.