PSSR2000 - The Lowdown
If you operate an espresso machine commercially you fall under the PSSR2000 regulations which require you to have your machine’s boiler safety checked before first use and then at least annually by a competent person in accordance with a Written Scheme of Examination (WSE). This isn’t optional; it’s the law. Even a brand new machine needs to have a WSE in place. If you haven’t yet done this you need to do it now. Environmental Health officers may ask you to produce your WSE and it may also be a requirement of your Public and Employer’s Liability Insurance policies.
The Details:
You probably know that your espresso machine has within it a boiler made of copper or stainless steel which heats water to between 110 and 125 degrees centigrade to produce steam. The steam is contained, under pressure, in the boiler until it is released for frothing milk or as boiling water from your machine’s water tap.
In legal terms, therefore, your espresso machine is a “pressure system” and so falls within the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR). The aim of PSSR is “to prevent serious injury from the hazard of stored energy as a result of the failure of a pressure system or one of its component parts”. The regulations aim to ensure that a coffee machine’s boiler can’t explode, nor its associated pipework or safety systems fail allowing an explosive release of steam. Do coffee machines really explode? This one, an Elektra machine installed in a branch of Sainsbury’s, did in 2010 injuring several people.
Environmental Health officers can ask to see your WSE and take enforcement action if you can’t provide one. Failure to hold a current PSSR2000 WSE may also harm your case if you need to make a claim on your buildings, employer’s or public liability insurance.
For reference, you can download a copy of the HSE’s Pressure Systems Safety Guidance (HSE261) from hse.gov.uk.
The good news is that I can help you to meet your legal obligations, ensure your machine is safe for you, your staff and your customers and take care of all the paperwork you need. As a certified member of the Institute of Safety and Health accredited CoffeeSafe Partnership I can inspect your machinery and produce your Written Scheme of Examination.
I’ll send you a copy of these documents which will also be logged and held securely by CoffeeSafe. You can access your documents at any time and you’ll have the security of knowing you are fully compliant with the regulations and that a copy of your documentation is securely held by an IOSH approved organisation. We’d normally complete your PSSR2000 inspection alongside your annual service.