Steam & Boiler Testing Overview

A Little Background to the Current Rules and Regulations

Why Have Them?

So what drives the need for the rules in the first place?  The way I see it is that modern society seems to contain more and more people willing to consider making money from opportunistic means.  Today’s laws seem to allow legal action to be taken more and more easily by people who see any instance where they perceive any failing in a large organisation as an opportunity to pursue compensation. High profile cases whereby customers have sued fast food outlets in the United States when they burned themselves on a cup of coffee only support this business and lead to an ever increasing number of law firms willing to take on cases on a ‘No Win No Fee’ basis.  All businesses and organisations such as councils and clubs therefore need to protect themselves from such actions and consequently turn to insurance companies where they can purchase protection from the costs of such possible legal proceedings.  I therefore think it is reasonable to consider Insurance Companies as offering us this protection at a price which we pay for in the premiums we, as model boat clubs, pay them.  Interestingly in the case of my own model boat club the local council require us to be insured for third party liability to a particular level for them to allow us to use the facility of the local park thereby protecting themselves as well.  Not surprisingly the insurance companies then have the right to dictate certain conditions under which they are prepared to insure us, in pretty much the same way as your house insurance would be invalid for theft if your front door was left open at the time of any robbery you might want to claim for or your car MOT was out of date at the time of a collision.  In the case of operating model steam plant in our boats the insurance companies require us to comply with a specific set of rules, which will then satisfy them that we are operating in a safe and responsible manner. 

What Are They?

Prior to January 1^st 2006 all relevant bodies concerned with model boat steam plants such as insurance companies, clubs, societies, local councils and even the Health and Safety Executive had their own sets of rules.  This was obviously very difficult to understand and comply with and put a lot of people off this area of the hobby completely.  Another side effect of this was that there were many modelers who simply ignored the rules in the knowledge that no-one else knew what was going on either and so no one could really hold them accountable.  Consequently, as of the 1^st January 2006 these organizations all got their heads together and published a set of rules and regulations for the safe construction and operation of model steam plant.  These rules have been accepted by the Health and Safety Executive, most of the big insurance providers and most modeling organizations and societies and make it now far easier for everyone to know just what the rules are and therefore who is not complying with them.  These rules were compiled into a single book, in the past being known as the ‘Blue Book’ and then the ‘Green Book’, however the current version being the ‘Orange Book’ which was accepted and adopted by all organisations concerned.  Consequently, if your club wishes to operate steam models, your club’s insurer will usually require your club to adhere to the ‘Orange Book’ set of rules.  The current set of rules, the ‘Orange Book’ is split into three volumes. Volume 3 covers gas tanks under 250 ml and Volumes 1 and 2 cover two different size ranges of boilers.  This size is determined by the 3 bar-litre rule thereby classifying boilers as either Boilers 3 bar-litres to 1100 bar-litres, covered by the rules in Volume 1 or Boilers under 3 bar-litres, covered by the rules in Volume 2.  The majority of boilers found in model boats are covered by the rules in Volume 2.

So What Does This Mean For Me?

The classic attitude towards today’s rules and regulations usually seems to be generated by the older members of the clubs and organisations who have lived through a period where Health and Safety was rarely considered and all were pretty much free to do as they pleased.  There are those who then see that as learning things the hard way, i.e. via the school of hard knocks, and there are some of those around who still bear the scars of those lessons. 

As my own club wishes to operate steam models and we are required by the council to have insurance cover to protect us against the costs of public liability actions, the club’s insurers require the club to operate under the ‘Orange Book’ set of rules.  What I think is a great shame is the fact that the ‘Orange Book’, which has taken input from a huge number of very qualified and skilled model engineers to put together and which has evolved over the years to what it is nowadays, is still looked at with a degree of skepticism and negativity. 

Because this particular set of rules has been put together by model engineers for model engineers the process has been used to create a set of rules that are actually very useful to us as steam modellers.  They contain guidance as regards what testing will be required for your particular model as well as guidance notes for the boiler inspector so you can even be ready for what he may want to look at during his testing and certificating process.  The book, along with its associated certification system has actually developed into a very useful handbook for steam modellers as regards the safe operation and testing of their models as well as general advice and I would encourage everyone who owns and operates steam plant in their models to get hold of a copy and read it through.  I really think they would find it at least interesting and informative and may well be very helpful.  Obviously the rules are written to apply to a wider audience than just the model boat people so you have to skim over the parts that do not apply to you and focus on the parts that do but, when you have got to the relevant bits it is surprising at just how much useful guidance there is.

So basically, if we wish to operate our steam powered model boats in a public place, we have to make a decision.  If we operate them entirely at our own responsibility, we have to accept that, should any litigation be aimed in our direction, it will be entirely at our expense.  Say your at the pondside, raising steam, your back is turned and a child decides to put their hand into the model and burns themselves.  You would quickly find a civil suit aimed in your direction from the parents and you would have to deal with it legally on your own and at your own expense.  If, however you wish to be covered by an insurance policy to protect yourself from the costs of such an action you will need to be a member of a club whose insurance policy covers them for the operation of steam models.  For that to be valid the model must be manufactured, tested and operated according to the requirements of the current rules.

Having said that I also try to promote the rules as a useful handbook for anyone wanting to operate a steam powered model to help guide them towards a safe set of operating practices and procedures.