Government-approved pressure equipment inspection company Genrox Management Services is under new management as of July.

The company specialises in all types of boiler and pressure-vessel inspections in line with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), within the framework of the South African National Accreditation System (Sanas) code 17020, as well as the requirements of the Minerals Act, of 1991.

GM Matthew Taylor tells Engineering News that the company will continue to operate as a government-approved inspection authority catering for all aspects of inspection, including the manufacture, fabrication, engineering, certification and recertification of both new and in-service pressure vessels.

“A few years ago, the Depart- ment of Labour embarked on a process to modify the exist- ing Vessels Under Pressure (VUP) regulations pertaining to the OHSA. In 2009, these modifications were accepted and the Pressure Equipment Regulations now supersede the VUP regulations.

“The result of the new regulations is tighter control on companies that carry out inspections, testing and quality control on pressure equipment.

“All companies carrying out the inspection and testing work on any pressure vessel, whether new or in-service, must now be Sanas-accredited Approved Inspection Authorities (AIAs),” he explains.

Taylor adds that the company’s inspectors have all been trained and certified by the South African Institute of Welding and are also qualified as inspectors of pressurised equipment.

“We have also affiliated a full nondestructive testing team to undertake magnetic particle crack detection, ultrasonic surveys, radiography, dye penetrant crack detection and material identification on vessels and boilers,” he says.

The company’s technical manager is a professional engineer who undertakes all the company’s designs, design reviews and recertification work.

“We also offer compliance audits to both existing and new clients,” says Taylor.

He adds that, although Genrox previously operated as a two-man operation, the new management has plans to further develop the operation and is already doing so through an extensive marketing programme.

The company’s new management has already more than doubled the staff complement.

Taylor adds that the new management and staff have added many new customers to the company’s database, owing to its expanded service offering.

Challenges

In 2001, Taylor’s father and owner of vessel inspection company Vessel Inspection Services, Ian Taylor, told Engineering News that the industry was facing the challenge of many companies not complying with regulations regarding the inspection of pressure equipment at stipulated intervals, depending on the regulations for each industry.

Matthew Taylor notes that, although this will always be a challenge for the industry, there has been a drastic improvement, as legislation is being better enforced and the industry has become more responsible in this regard.

“We have seen a noticeable shift, especially in the mining industry. There has been a lot of additional pressure in recent years for mines to put good safety procedures and practices in place, and pressure equipment inspection forms part of that,” he explains.

Despite this, he feels the industry is now facing a new challenge.

“A lot of people are unaware of the changes to the regulations.

“Awareness needs to be created about this, as the changes have been substantial and a lot of equipment now requires inspection and certification, which it previously did not,” he states.

Further, he adds that the shortage of skilled and qualified inspectors is possibly the biggest challenge facing the industry.

“We are considering the possibility of training young people in boiler preparation, the various inspection disciplines and in the other related services through an affiliated com- pany, as there is a shortage of these individuals.

“If they show promise, we will send them for the necessary schooling, training and testing to get them certified and competent,” he says.

He notes that bringing qualified professionals in from overseas is also an option, but this can be costly.

Future Growth

Matthew Taylor believes that strategising and thorough planning by the new management will assist the company in achieving local and global growth.

“We have already seen rapid growth in South Africa and we hope to continue growing and expanding our reach,” he concludes.

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