Step 1: Immediately Stop Use and Implement Control Measures
Upon discovery of an overdue inspection, immediately stop equipment operation, isolate and depressurize the vessel, and post a "Do Not Use After Expiry Date" warning sign in a prominent location on the equipment. Continued unauthorized use is strictly prohibited to avoid safety accidents and increased penalties. If immediate shutdown is not possible due to special production needs, a written explanation must be submitted to the local market supervision department to apply for a limited rectification transition period, and 24-hour risk monitoring must be implemented.
Step 2: Risk Assessment and Rectification Preparation
Complete Equipment Files: Organize the pressure vessel registration certificate, historical inspection reports, and daily operation and maintenance records to confirm the overdue period, equipment service life, and historical defects.
Preliminary Risk Assessment: The company's safety management team should conduct a preliminary visual inspection of the vessel body and safety accessories, recording visible deformation, corrosion, leakage, and other issues for subsequent inspection.
Step 3: Formal Inspection Application and Defect Handling
Contact a qualified pressure vessel inspection agency in advance, submit an inspection application, and cooperate with the inspection agency to complete on-site testing, including comprehensive inspections such as wall thickness measurement, non-destructive testing, and pressure testing. Based on the inspection results, defect rectification should be completed as follows:
Repairable defects: A repair plan should be developed by a qualified special equipment repair unit. The plan must be approved by the original design unit or a compliant design institution before repairs are implemented. The repair process must be supervised by the inspection agency. After completion, non-destructive testing and pressure testing should be conducted again for verification. When the repair cost exceeds 60% of the value of the new equipment, or the remaining service life is less than 3 years, it is recommended to replace the equipment directly.
Unrepairable defects/meeting mandatory scrapping conditions: The equipment should be scrapped, the pressure-bearing structure removed to prevent unauthorized reuse, and the usage registration cancellation procedures completed.
Step Four: Acceptance Verification and Resumption of Use
After rectification, the inspection agency will issue a new qualified inspection report. The company will re-verify the calibration validity of safety accessories (safety valves and pressure gauges must be recalibrated and pass). Only after pressure testing and airtightness testing confirm no leakage and no abnormal deformation can the equipment be restored to normal operation.
Step 5: Closed-Loop Archiving and Preventive Optimization
Store all overdue documents, including explanations, rectification plans, new inspection reports, and maintenance records, into the pressure vessel technical archive. Update the equipment inspection early warning log and set up an automatic reminder one month before the expiration date to prevent recurrence of overdue issues.
If an overdue inspection has resulted in a rectification notice from the market supervision department, the aforementioned rectification must be completed within the specified timeframe. Then, apply to the supervision department for a review and cancellation of the inspection, thereby lifting the seal or administrative penalty restrictions.
