The User’s Responsibility

All Parr reactors and pressure vessels are designed and manufactured with great care to ensure safe operation when used within their prescribed temperature and pressure limits. But… the basic responsibility for safety when using this equipment rests entirely with the user; who must:

  1. Select a reactor or pressure vessel which has the capability, pressure rating, corrosion resistance and design features that are suitable for its intended use. Parr Technical Sales will be glad to discuss available equipment and material options with prospective users, but the final responsibility for selecting a reactor or pressure vessel that will perform to the user’s satisfaction in any particular reaction or test must rest with the user — not with Parr. In exercising the responsibility for the selection of pressure equipment, the prospective user is often faced with a choice between over or under-designed equipment. The hazards introduced by under-designed pressure vessels are readily apparent, but the penalties that must be paid for over-designed apparatus are often overlooked. Recognizing these criteria, Parr reactors and pressure vessels are offered in several different styles, each designed for convenient use in daily operation within certain temperature and pressure limits, using gaskets, closures and other elements carefully selected for safe operation within the limits specified for that design. But in order to preserve the validity of these designs, all temperature and pressure limits must be observed, and no attempt should be made to increase these limits by making alterations or by substituting components which are not recommended by the manufacturer.
  2. Install and operate the equipment within a suitable barricade, if required, with appropriate safety accessories and in full compliance with local safety codes and rules. All standard Parr reactors and pressure vessels are provided with either a suitable relief device or a means to attach one (typically in the form of a plugged opening).  When a pressure vessel is delivered without a pressure relief device, it is the customer’s responsibility to provide pressure relief in order to protect the operator and the equipment from destructive high pressures.  If you need more information or need help in selecting a proper relief device, please contact Parr Instrument Company.
  3. Establish training procedures to ensure that any person handling the equipment knows how to use it properly.
  4. Maintain the equipment in good condition and establish procedures for periodic testing to be sure the vessel remains structurally sound.