Pressure-equipment registration in Australia is set at the state and territory level, so the answer to “do I need to register it?” depends on where the equipment operates. There are two things people mix up: design registration (the design is registered once) and item/plant registration (the individual item is registered). This guide is about the item side.
Most states: hazard A/B/C items must be registered and inspected first
Under the model work-health-and-safety laws, which cover Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia among others, hazard-level A, B and C boilers and pressure vessels must be item-registered before operation. Crucially, most registration applications require a “safe-to-operate” statement from a competent person who has inspected the item. So in those states, registration itself compels an inspection.
- Queensland: hazard A/B/C item registration, with ongoing inspection that follows and defaults to annual if none is set
- South Australia: item registration, with equipment “regularly inspected by a competent person… in accordance with AS/NZS 3788”; SafeWork SA recognises AICIP as an inspector-qualification body
- Western Australia: hazard A/B/C item registration (perpetual, no renewal cycle), with an ongoing inspection duty
- New South Wales: hazard A/B/C registration and inspection to AS/NZS 3788 with a “safe-to-operate” statement
Victoria: no item registration since 2014
Victoria is the exception. It abolished item-of-plant registration in 2014; only design registration remains. In Victoria the driver isn't registration. It's the standing duty to have the equipment inspected by a competent person and to keep the records.
The common thread
Wherever you are, hazard A/B/C equipment ends up needing competent-person inspection to AS/NZS 3788, either to support registration or to meet the standing inspection duty. If you're unsure what applies to a specific item, a free AS 4343 assessment is a good place to start.
Not sure where your equipment stands?
Send a photo of the equipment and its nameplate and we'll tell you plainly under AS 4343. Free, no obligation.
Common questions
- Does registering a pressure vessel require an inspection?
- In most states, yes. Registering a hazard A/B/C item typically requires a “safe-to-operate” statement from a competent person who has inspected it, so an inspection comes first.
- Is Victoria different?
- Yes. Victoria abolished item registration in 2014. The obligation there is the standing duty to inspect and keep records, not a registration or renewal.
// Read next
This guide is general information, not legal or engineering advice. Inspection requirements depend on your specific equipment and jurisdiction; confirm against the current edition of the applicable standard. Speqo supplements but does not replace your own duty-holder obligations.