CEN/TR 764-6:2012

• Abstract:

  This part six of EN 764 is a Technical Report and as such is a generic document that identifies requirements for operating instructions which accompany the pressure equipment when it is placed on the market. It only provides general statements and thus does not claim to give presumption of conformity to the essential safety requirements of the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED).; Operating instructions contain the necessary safety information covering installation including assembling, putting into service and maintenance. For specific items of pressure equipment or assemblies, more detailed requirements on the content of operating instructions can be found in specific standards such as EN 13445 Unfired pressure vessels, EN 13480 Industrial piping, EN 12952 Water-tube boilers and auxiliary installations, or EN 12953 Shell boilers.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 09-Oct-2012
• ICS: 23.020.30 - Pressure vessels, gas cylinders
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 54 - Unfired pressure vessels
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 54/WG 54 - D - Manufacture
• Current Stage: 9060 - Closure of 2 Year Review Enquiry - Review Enquiry
• Start Date: 04-Mar-2022
• Completion Date: 04-Mar-2022
• Ref Project: SIST-TP CEN/TR 764-6:2012 - Pressure equipment - Part 6: Structure and content of operating instructions

• Replaces: CEN/TS 764-6:2004 - Pressure equipment - Part 6: Structure and content of operating instructions
• Effective Date: 16-Apr-2011
• Referred By: EN 13445-5:2026 - Unfired pressure vessels - Part 5: Inspection and testing
• Effective Date: 29-Jul-2026
• Referred By: EN ISO 4413:2010 - Hydraulic fluid power - General rules and safety requirements for systems and their components (ISO 4413:2010)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Referred By: EN 13445-5:2021+A1:2024 - Unfired pressure vessels - Part 5: Inspection and testing
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Referred By: EN 13445-5:2014 - Unfired pressure vessels - Part 5: Inspection and testing
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Referred By: EN 14276-1:2020 - Pressure equipment for refrigerating systems and heat pumps - Part 1: Vessels - General requirements
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Referred By: EN 13445-5:2021 - Unfired pressure vessels - Part 5: Inspection and testing
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026

Overview

CEN/TR 764-6:2012 is a technical report developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) as part of the EN 764 series on pressure equipment. This document specifically addresses the structure and content of operating instructions that must accompany pressure equipment when it is introduced to the market. The guidance provided in this report covers essential safety information required throughout the lifecycle of pressure equipment, including installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and disposal.

While CEN/TR 764-6:2012 serves as a generic framework and does not establish conformity with the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED), it outlines best practices for preparing comprehensive operating instructions that help ensure safety and reliability. Manufacturers, assemblers, and users of pressure equipment can reference this document for guidance on developing clear, consistent, and effective instructions.

Key Topics

• Hazard Analysis

  • Identifying and analyzing potential and residual hazards linked to installation, use, maintenance, and foreseeable misuse of pressure equipment.
  • Addressing hazards that cannot be eliminated by design, such as overpressure, overheating, corrosion, and incorrect operation.

• Mandatory Information

  • Requirements for data plate marking, including manufacturer identification, year of manufacture, type or series identification, and allowable limits.

• Content of Operating Instructions

  • General safety information, design standards, safe operating limits, estimated equipment lifetime, replaceable parts, and spare parts lists.
  • Documentation to support marked information, such as technical drawings, diagrams, and hazard analysis where applicable.

• Lifecycle Coverage

  • Guidance on instructions for:
    • Transportation and Storage
    • Installation and Mounting
    • Putting Equipment into Service
    • Operation and Use
    • Maintenance and Inspection of safety facilities
    • End-of-life considerations and disposal, including environmental and safety issues during dismantling.

• Language and Accessibility

  • Operating instructions must be provided in an official language of the country where the equipment is marketed and must include information for safe and proper use.

Applications

Adhering to CEN/TR 764-6:2012 supports organizations in various industries by ensuring safe use and compliance of pressure equipment such as unfired pressure vessels, industrial piping, boilers, and related assemblies. Key practical benefits include:

• Improved Safety: Comprehensive operating instructions help prevent accidents by clearly outlining safety procedures, hazard warnings, and maintenance requirements.
• Regulatory Alignment: Although compliance with this TR alone does not confer presumption of conformity with PED, using the structured approach aids in meeting essential safety requirements when combined with product-specific European standards.
• Clarity for Users: Standardized instructions reduce misinterpretation and support consistent operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting practices across sites and teams.
• Lifecycle Management: Encourages manufacturers to consider the full operational and disposal lifecycle, promoting environmental responsibility and product stewardship.

Industries that commonly benefit from the guidance in CEN/TR 764-6:2012 include chemical processing, power generation, oil and gas, food and beverage, and any sector using industrial pressure vessels or piping systems.

Related Standards

For specific categories of pressure equipment or detailed requirements, reference should also be made to relevant European standards, such as:

• EN 13445: Unfired pressure vessels
• EN 13480: Industrial piping
• EN 12952: Water-tube boilers and auxiliary installations
• EN 12953: Shell boilers

These standards provide additional details for content and structure of operating instructions tailored to particular equipment. CEN/TR 764-6:2012 acts as an overarching guideline that complements these product-specific standards.

Keywords: CEN/TR 764-6:2012, pressure equipment, operating instructions, pressure vessel, PED, safety requirements, hazard analysis, EN 764, technical documentation

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-december-2012
7ODþQDRSUHPDGHO2EOLNDLQYVHELQDQDYRGLO]DREUDWRYDQMH
Pressure equipment - Part 6: Structure and content of operating instructions
Druckgeräte - Teil 6: Aufbau und Inhalt einer Betriebsanleitung
Equipements sous pression - Partie 6: Structure et contenu des instructions de service
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TR 764-6:2012
ICS:
23.020.30 7ODþQHSRVRGHSOLQVNH Pressure vessels, gas
MHNOHQNH cylinders
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

TECHNICAL REPORT
CEN/TR 764-6
RAPPORT TECHNIQUE
TECHNISCHER BERICHT
October 2012
ICS 23.020.30 Supersedes CEN/TS 764-6:2004
English Version
Pressure equipment - Part 6: Structure and content of operating
instructions
Equipements sous pression - Partie 6: Structure et contenu Druckgeräte - Teil 6: Aufbau und Inhalt einer
des instructions de service Betriebsanleitung

This Technical Report was approved by CEN on 23 July 2012. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 54.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United
Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2012 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TR 764-6:2012: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
Foreword .3
1 Scope .4
2 General .4
3 Hazard analysis .4
3.1 General .4
3.2 Possible hazards for all pressure equipment and assemblies .4
3.3 Fired or otherwise heated pressure equipment and assemblies .6
4 Content of operating instructions .6
4.1 General .6
4.2 Transportation and erection or installation (mounting) .8
4.3 Putting into service.8
4.4 Use/Operation .8
4.5 Maintenance and Inspection .9
4.6 Documentation .9
4.7 Disposal .9

Foreword
This document (CEN/TR 764-6:2012) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 54 “Unfired
pressure vessels”, the secretariat of which is held by BSI.
This document supersedes CEN/TS 764-6:2004.
EN 764 "Pressure equipment" series consists of the following seven parts:
 Part 1: Terminology – Pressure, temperature, volume, nominal size
 Part 2: Quantities, symbols and units
 Part 3: Definition of parties involved
 Part 4: Establishment of technical delivery conditions for metallic materials
 Part 5: Compliance and Inspection Documentation of Materials
 Part 6: Structure and content of operating instructions (this Technical Report)
 Part 7: Safety systems for unfired pressure equipment

1 Scope
This part six of EN 764 is a Technical Report and as such is a generic document that identifies requirements
for operating instructions which accompany the pressure equipment when it is placed on the marked. It only
provides general statements and thus does not claim to give presumption of conformity to the essential safety
requirements of the Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC (PED).
Operating instructions contain the necessary safety information covering installation including assembling,
putting into service and maintenance. For specific items of pressure equipment or assemblies, more detailed
requirements on the content of operating instructions can be found in specific standard series such as
EN 13445 “Unfired pressure vessels”, EN 13480 “Industrial piping”, EN 12952 “Water-tube boilers and auxil-
iary installations”, or EN 12953 “Shell boilers”.
2 General
The manufacturer needs to identify and analyse all known and foreseeable hazards in the intended use and
clearly foreseeable misuse which may occur in mounting, putting into service, use, maintenance and in-
service inspections by the user of the pressure equipment.
Possible hazards which could not be eliminated in the design of the product or by secondary safety devices
are treated in Clause 3 of this document. These are residual hazards which can occur when a vessel is in-
stalled and used or operated under foreseeable conditions. Where appropriate, residual hazards are dealt with
in the operating instructions given by the manufacturer.
Operating instructions cover the information marked on the pressure equipment and are, where appropriate,
supported by technical documents, drawings and diagrams for a full understanding.
Depending on the type of pressure equipment
a) a manufacturer may decide to put constraints on the use of the pressure equipment, e.g. in the case of
series products or “catalogue” products, or
b) a user/client may, e.g. via project specifications, put constraints on the design or the manufacture of the
pressure equipment.
In each of these cases, the constraints specified by the manufacturer (as in a)) or the solutions specified by
the client (as in b)) are identified in the operating instructions.
3 Hazard analysis
3.1 General
It is the purpose of the hazard analysis to enable the manufacturer to identify and determine the potential
modes of failure due to loading of the actual piece of pressure equipment which could occur when this equip-
ment is installed and used in reasonably foreseeable conditions.
Given below in 3.2 and 3.3 are hazards or combinations of hazards which need to be considered for operating
instructions. This list is not intended to be fully comprehensive, but illustrative of the scope of information
which needs to be taken into account.
3.2 Possible hazards for all pressure equipment and assemblies
Hazardous situations during operations are:
a) exceeding of internal or external maximum allowable pressure;
b) exceeding of maximum or minimum allowable temperature or temperature gradients;
c) exceeding of features of design relevant to the life of equipment covering creep, fatigue and corrosion;
d) hazards by static pressure and mass contents in operating and test conditions;
e) exceeding of traffic-, wind-, snow-, earthquake- and dynamic-loading;
f) exceeding of reaction forces and moments which result from supports, attachments, piping etc.;
g) decomposition of unstable fluids;
h) instability aspects;
i) incorrect handling of closures and openings;
j) dangerous discharge of pressure relief blow-off;
k) incorrect handling of devices to prevent physical access whilst pressure or a vacuum exists;
l) surface temperature taking into consideration the intended use;
m) incorrect handling of unstable fluids resulting in decomposition;
n) incorrect draining and venting with the following possible consequences:
1) water hammer, vacuum collapse, corrosion and chemical reactions;
2) inhibition of safe cleaning, inspection and maintenance in a safe manner;
o) failing of protection against corrosion or inadequate allowance of chemical attack of the materials;
p) excess wear;
q) incorrect assembly of components;
r) incorrect filling and discharge, e.g.:
1) overfilling or overpressurisation;
2) instability of the pressure equipment;
3) uncontrolled release of the pressurised fluid;
4) unsafe connection and disconnection;
s) inadequate failure of safety accessories, pressure limiting- and temperature monitoring devices, e.g. with
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