Legalising Pressure Equipment Installations in Catalonia: Projects, RITSIC and Inspections

Not every pressure equipment installation in Catalonia requires an engineering project. The decision depends on the complete installation rather than the pressure of one vessel alone. Pressure, volume, fluid type, temperature, pipe diameter, equipment category and permanent connections must all be considered. The result determines whether the installation is class 1, requiring a technical report, or class 2, requiring a project and final installation certificate.

Registration is completed through a responsible declaration submitted online before commissioning. CE marking and an EU or EC declaration of conformity remain important product documents, but they do not replace registration of the installed system in its actual location. For a business opening or taking over premises in Barcelona, classification and document checks should therefore take place before machinery is purchased, moved or operated.

Which pressure equipment installations are covered?

The general scope includes equipment intended to produce, store, transport or use fluids under pressure where the maximum allowable pressure exceeds 0.5 bar. Depending on their characteristics, this may include pressure vessels, boilers, expansion vessels, cryogenic equipment, pipe networks and machinery containing pressurised components. Inclusion cannot be decided from the equipment name alone because specific technical instructions and exemptions may apply. [2] [5]

Start by mapping the whole installation, including permanently connected equipment, pipework and safety accessories. The information needed normally includes maximum allowable pressure, known as PS, or maximum service pressure, known as Pms; vessel volume; allowable temperatures; fluid and fluid group; nominal pipe diameter or DN; equipment category; and the intended operating conditions. These variables are used together under the applicable rules. [5] [6]

• Record the manufacturer, model, year and serial number.
• Photograph each identification plate and safety device.
• Collect PS or Pms, volume, temperature and fluid data.
• Identify pipe sizes, routes and permanent connections.
• Confirm whether every item is new, used or being relocated.

When is a technical report sufficient, and when is a project required?

A class 1 installation requires a technical report signed by the authorised person from the installation company that carried out the work. A class 2 installation requires a technical project and a certificate covering technical supervision and completion, involving a suitably qualified engineer. Commissioning must be under the responsibility of one pressure equipment installation company registered in RASIC, Catalonia’s register of industrial safety agents. [2]

General class 2 criteria include a combined Pms × V value above 25,000 bar-litres for permanently connected equipment. The threshold is 10,000 bar-litres where the installation can generate a pressure increase through flame, heat input or exothermic reactions. Class 2 may also result from dangerous fluids above the regulatory quantities, certain category II or III pipework, or equipment covered by specific cases under technical instructions ITC EP-1 to EP-7. [2] [5]

These thresholds are not a stand-alone calculator. The assessment must reflect the actual configuration and cannot ignore connected vessels or pipework. A small-looking installation may still need a project because of its fluid, piping category or applicable ITC. Conversely, pressure alone does not establish that a project is required. Classification should be completed before quotations are compared, because it determines the technical documents and professionals needed. [2] [6]

• Class 1: technical report prepared through the authorised installation company.
• Class 2: engineering project, technical supervision and final certificate.
• Check the combined installation, not only individual vessels.
• Review any equipment-specific ITC before confirming feasibility.

RITSIC, RASIC and the documents you need

RITSIC and RASIC serve different purposes. RITSIC is Catalonia’s Register of Technical Industrial Safety Installations and records the installation. RASIC is the Register of Industrial Safety Agents and identifies authorised businesses and professionals. Finding an installer in RASIC does not prove that a particular installation has been registered in RITSIC; both points need separate verification. [2] [3]

The technical file may contain the technical report or project, drawings, system diagrams, manufacturer’s documentation, conformity declarations and test records. EP-2 is the pressure equipment installation certificate. EP-3 is the technical supervision and final installation certificate used where applicable. Separate official forms cover repairs, equipment or installation modifications and periodic inspections, including EP-5, EP-6 and EP-9. [1] [4]

For the commissioning procedure, the signed responsible declaration is attached online. This does not mean that it replaces the technical file: the operator must already hold the required documentation and retain it throughout the installation’s service life. The submitted declaration, RITSIC registration receipt, equipment register and applicable inspection certificates must also be kept. Certain used equipment may require a level C inspection report, so incomplete second-hand records can affect viability. [3] [4] [7]

• Match serial numbers and plates to every certificate.
• Obtain declarations of conformity and manuals from the supplier.
• Retain the full technical file, not only the RITSIC receipt.
• Record later repairs, replacements and alterations.
• Investigate missing documents before buying used machinery.

How to register and commission the installation

Begin by inventorying the equipment, pipework and safety components. Collect the manufacturer’s records, classify the equipment and fluids, and determine whether the complete installation is class 1 or class 2. The relevant technical report or project can then be prepared, after which the authorised installation company carries out and tests the work and issues the applicable certificates. [2] [4]

The responsible declaration must be submitted electronically before the installation enters service. The official procedure page cited in the source catalogue lists a commissioning fee of €34.85, but administrative charges and forms can change; check the current amount directly on Tràmits Gencat before filing. The available sources do not establish a fixed completion period, so a guaranteed registration timescale should not be assumed. [3]

The commissioning form accepts no more than 50 items of equipment. Where there are more, the first 50 are registered initially; after the RITSIC number is obtained, the remainder are added through modification procedures in batches of up to 50. Subsequent extensions, relocations, replacements or operational changes should be assessed before implementation because they may require updated documentation and a formal modification procedure. [3] [8]

• Inventory all equipment, pipework and safety accessories.
• Confirm the fluid group, equipment category and applicable ITC.
• Prepare the class 1 report or class 2 project.
• Install, test and obtain the required certificates.
• File the responsible declaration and pay the current official fee before use.

Checks before occupation and inspections after registration

Before buying machinery or leasing industrial premises in Barcelona, check the RITSIC number against the address, operator and equipment present. Review identification plates, conformity declarations, EP-2 and EP-3 certificates where applicable, the equipment register and previous inspection records. Look for undocumented extensions or substitutions. A system registered for another configuration, location or operating fluid should not automatically be treated as compliant for the proposed activity. [4] [7] [8]

During operation, the equipment register and records of interventions must remain current. Spanish pressure equipment rules distinguish level A, B and C periodic inspections, with different scopes and authorised agents. There is no single inspection interval suitable for every installation: the schedule depends on factors including equipment type and category, fluid group and the applicable ITC. Consult the consolidated regulation and confirm the specific case with the competent authority or an appropriately authorised agent. [5]

• Do not treat CE marking as RITSIC registration.
• Do not omit pipework from the classification.
• Do not file before the supporting certificates are available.
• Do not rely on obsolete forms or an old equipment inventory.
• Do not schedule inspections without identifying category, fluid group and ITC.

Frequently asked questions

Does CE marking replace RITSIC registration?

No. CE marking and the conformity declaration concern the equipment placed on the market. RITSIC records the installation in its particular location and configuration, including its connections and operating conditions. The responsible declaration must be submitted before commissioning.

Does a small pressure installation need an engineering project?

Not necessarily, but physical size or pressure alone cannot answer the question. The assessment must consider Pms × V, the fluid, equipment category, pipework and DN, permanent connections and any applicable ITC. Class 1 requires a technical report; class 2 requires a project and final certificate.

Who can sign the class 1 technical report?

For a class 1 installation, the technical report is signed by the authorised person from the installation company that performed the work. A class 2 installation instead requires the involvement of a suitably qualified engineer for the project, technical supervision and final installation certificate.