Getting Started: Alberta In-Service Pressure Vessel Inspector

In Alberta, pressure equipment owner-users must have an Integrity Management System (IMS) that complies with the Alberta Pressure Equipment Safety Regulations (PESR). In compliance, all IMSs require personnel who inspect and certify installed pressure vessels, boilers, fired equipment and similar equipment, and those who supervise in-service inspection staff, shall hold the required Alberta In-service pressure equipment Inspector Certification and be certified as competent to perform the specific type of inspection.

Education and Experience Requirements

In order to qualify as an in-service pressure equipment inspector, a candidate must also have the following combinations of education and experience:

• High school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) equivalent; and
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or First Class Power Engineers Certificate and 2 years of experience; or
• 2-year diploma or certificate in engineering or technology or Second Class Power Engineers Certificate and 3 years of experience; or
• Technical training in Boiler and/or Pressure Vessel Inspection and 4 years of experience (including continuing education, correspondence or code course(s) in at least one of the categories in "Acceptable Pressure Equipment Experience”.

Acceptable Pressure Equipment Experience:

Must include a minimum of one year pressure equipment inspection experience or equivalent plus one of the following categories:

• Engineering, design or design registration; or
• Manufacturing, including fabrication methods or processes in either shop or field; or
• In charge in the operation of a power plant exceeding 5000 kW (Second or First Class plant); or
• Performing repair, alteration or maintenance of boilers and/or pressure vessels; or
• Supervising a quality control system related to boiler and/or pressure vessel manufacturing, repair or alteration in shop or field; or
• Inspection of boilers and/or pressure vessels either in service or during construction in shop or field; or
• Performing as a minimum NDE Level II examiner of boilers and/or pressure vessels

AND

Third Party Certification Requirements

To be eligible for certification, the candidate must meet ONE of the following third party certifications:

• Permanent Safety Codes Officer (Boiler) Level III; or
• API 510 Certification; or
• Provide evidence of successful challenge of the API 510 certification examination within the previous 5 years; or
• National Board Inservice Commission; or
• Provide evidence of successful challenge of National Board Inservice Commission Examination within the previous 5 years.

In-service Pressure Vessel Inspector Examination

• Exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions
• It is a 3 hour open-book exam
• This examination has a set passing point of 70%

Exam questions are broken down and graded in the 15 areas identified in the ABSA AB-59 syllabus.

Note:Published legislation, codes and standards referenced in the syllabus are permitted for the examination. Reference materials used during the examination are to be authorized "hard copy" paper versions as published. All reference materials must be free of any insert pages, notations, answers or crib sheets. Except for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) codes, sharing of reference materials with other candidates is not permitted.

Renewals

• Every 5 years, must meet the following requirements:
• have in-service pressure equipment inspection experience,
• continuing education in pressure equipment, and
• successfully pass the 1 hour, 25-question re-certification examination

Exam Codes and CASTI Courses

Coming Soon:

• Alberta In-Service Pressure Vessel Inspector online course.

Note:This course is designed to assist with exam preparation for the Alberta In-Service Pressure Vessel Inspector Certification. This course will help identify, navigate, and organize the areas of study in the AB-59 syllabus. It does not teach Safety Codes Act and Regulations or PESR.

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