3. Mechanical equipment

The rules applicable to mechanical equipment are the most detailed, and will be developed in greater detail in the present dossier. There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, as mentioned above, there was a real need for design and construction codes for mechanical equipment, a need not felt as acutely for other equipment whose specifications were more self-supporting.

Secondly, while all equipment must meet strict requirements in terms of resources (products, operating procedures, monitoring of the manufacturing process), unlike standard equipment, large-scale mechanical equipment cannot be subject to a comprehensive – qualification, which can be destructive – once production has been completed. Particular care must therefore be taken during the various phases of production, since proof of quality cannot be provided by compliance with acceptance...