LAHORE: The Punjab government is amending the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Ordinance 2002 to make it more effective and prevent bursting of industrial apparatus that has always been disastrous.

According to of ficial sources, the amendments are likely to be introduced through another ordinance after the current Punjab Assembly sessions are prorogued.

The proposed ordinance dennes that the boiler or pressure vessel should be under the charge of a person holding the Boiler Engineers Competency Certificate, and not less than 18 years of age.

Those over 60 years of age willhave to produce a medical fitness certificate for each extra year by a medical officer of a tehsil or district headquarters hospital.

The registration of a boiler or pressure vessel shall be completed within 30 days of the submission of an application. On receipt of intimation from the owner for renewal of registration certificate, the inspection authority or inspector shall fix a date within 15 days or such shorter period as may be agreed with the owner from the date of the receipt for examination of the boiler or pressure vessel.

An owner using a boiler or pressure vessel either without any certificate or order being in force or a competent boiler engineer, or at a higher pressure than that allowed, shall be issued a warning tocomply with the relevant legal provisions.

In case the order is not implemented within the specified time, the chief inspector shall take such action as may be necessary to stop illegal use of the boiler or pressure vessel, their closure or of the factory andrevocadon ofthe registration certificate.

The amendments state that any person who uses or permits for being illegally used a boiler or pressure vessel transferred from any province to Punjab, fails to mark on them their registered numbers, illegally makes any structural alteration, addition or renewal, tempers with a safety valve of a boiler or a pressure vesselso as to renderitinoperative at the permitted maximum pressure,operates the apparatus without the assistance and presence of a qualified engineer or a technician shall be liable to punishment with up to two-year imprisonment which shall not be less than three months and fine up to Rs400,000 which shall not be less than Rs50,000.

The Punjab Boilers and Pressure Vessels Safety Board shall be headed by the secretary of the department instead of the existing director general. It shall include one representative each of the federal and Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry, two boiler manufacturers and users each and a teacher of the University of Engineering and Technology`s Mechanical Engineering Department.