Pipeline systems ("pipelines") - Apply for recognition as an inspection body
Anyone wishing to operate an inspection body for pipeline systems must
- fulfil the requirements of § 6 Paragraph 2 of the Pipeline Ordinance and
- apply to the competent authority for recognition of the inspection body.
The inspection body may consist of an
- An expert organisation or
- an inspection body approved under other legal provisions.
The recognition shall be valid for the entire territory of the Federal Republic of Germany. Equivalent recognitions from other EU/EEA states are equivalent to recognitions in Germany.
Responsible authority
The federal states have transferred the recognition of inspection bodies in accordance with § 6 of the Pipeline Ordinance to the Central Office of the Federal States for Safety Engineering (ZLS) in the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection.
please send your application to the following address:
Central Authority of the Federal States for Safety Engineering
at the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection (StMUV)
Rosenkavalierplatz 2,
D-81925 Munich
Details
Prerequisite
They must fulfil and prove the organisational and technical requirements according to § 6 paragraph 2 of the Pipeline Ordinance and Annex L of the Technical Rules for Pipelines.
The inspection body must above all:
- be independent (this applies in particular to the personnel entrusted with the management and performance of the tests) and
- have the organisational structure necessary for the adequate and independent performance of its tasks, and
- have the necessary means and equipment for testing pipelines.
the following applies to the organisational structure
- at least 5 employees (experts),
- sufficient technical knowledge, experience and reliability of the appointed personnel and the possibility of further technical training,
- collect and evaluate knowledge gained during inspections and regularly pass this knowledge on internally and to other inspection bodies
- adequate and effective quality assurance with regular auditing.
Procedure
You must submit the application for recognition in writing.
Sign it by hand or provide it with a qualified electronic signature.
Deadlines
The recognition must have been granted before the start of the testing activities.
Testing bodies from other EU/EEA states must demonstrate the equivalence of recognition before commencing testing activities.
Required documents
- Evidence of a quality management system (QM documents related to Annex L of the TRFL),
- Existing accreditations and recognitions, evidence of the
independence of the inspection body,
evidence of the availability of the organisational structure required for the independent fulfilment of the tasks
(required staff, staff list with assigned inspection areas according to § 5 RohrFLtgV and Annex B to the TRFL) - Evidence of the necessary means and equipment for the inspection of pipelines,
- Proof of the expertise and experience of the personnel assigned to the inspection
(curricula vitae, proof of professional qualifications, proof of activities) - Proof of the personal independence and reliability of the personnel commissioned tothe inspection
(if resident in Germany, submission of a certificate of good conduct of type O)
(if resident abroad, submission of documents from the person's home country proving that the requirements for personal reliability for service are met), - Proof of liability insurance with coverage of at least 2.5 million euros,
- Declaration of exemptionAn
appropriate form can be requested from the competent office.
Costs
Information on the costs can be obtained from the Central Office of the Länder for Safety Technology (ZLS).
Processing time
The competent body will decide on your application within 3 months after receipt of the complete documents.
Miscellaneous
Central Authority for Safety Engineering of the Laender (ZLS)
https://www.zls-muenchen.de/stellen/rohrfernleitungen
Detailed information
In Baden-Württemberg, there are a few, mostly buried pipelines in which liquid and gaseous substances are transported. These include large supra-regional pipelines of the chemical industry, the mineral oil industry and the gas industry as well as cross-plant pipelines between industrial sites.
The approval and monitoring of pipelines is the responsibility of the regional councils. The legal basis is the Environmental Impact Assessment Act and the Federal Pipeline Ordinance. The technical requirements are derived from the Technical Rules for Pipelines, which are developed by the Committee for Pipelines (AfR).
Pipelines must be subjected to regular safety inspections by inspection bodies. An inspection body is any expert organisation or any inspection body approved under other legal provisions that has been recognised on application as an inspection body for pipeline systems.
Legal basis
Rohrfernleitungsverordnung (RohrFLtgV)
- § 6 Absatz 2 Prüfstellen für Rohrfernleitungsanlagen
- § 9 Ausschuss für Rohrfernleitungen
Technische Regel für Rohrfernleitungen nach § 9 Absatz 5 der Rohrfernleitungsverordnung (TRFL)
Release note
Machine generated, based on the German release by: Umweltministerium Baden-Württemberg, 12.09.2024