Boiler Attendants

Salient Features of Boiler Attendants’ Rules, 2011

This is a Central Rule implemented by State Governments. It stipulates the rules for the procedure for awarding the Certificate of  Competency as a Boiler Attendant.

I.               FIRST CLASS BOILER ATTENDANT

1.     A first class boiler attendant is eligible to be in charge of a single boiler of heating surface area of 1000 sq.m. maximum. He is also eligible to be in charge of a battery of any number of connected boilers, provided that the aggregate heating surface area of all connected boilers does not exceed 1000 sq.m., and all such boilers are situated within a radius of 30 m in the same premises and belong to the same owner. He is also eligible to be in charge of any number of individual boilers, provided that the aggregate heating surface area of all these boilers does not exceed 1000 sq.m., and all such boilers are situated within a radius of 30 m in the same premises and belong to the same owner.

2.     An applicant for first class boiler attendant Examination shall have completed the age of twenty. He shall possess a second class boiler attendant certificate of competency. He shall have working experience, with a second class boiler attendant certificate of competency, of minimum two years of being in-charge of a boiler of heating surface area of minimum 50 sq.m. either independently or under a first class boiler attendant.

3.     A candidate, in order to be qualified for a certificate of competency of the First Class, is expected, by the Board of Examiners, to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the principal elementary facts relating to combustion, heat and steam.

4.     A candidate, in order to be qualified for a certificate of competency of the First Class, is also expected, by the Board of Examiners, to be able to explain

a.     the working and management of steam boilers, super heaters and economizer

b.     the use and purpose of various valves, cocks, mounting fitting and other mountings fitting and other safety devices

c.     description and the functions of feed pumps, feed injector, feed regulators, feed water filters and softeners, feed heaters, air heaters, calorifiers, steam accumulators, force draught, induced draught and automatic draught control devices

d.     answer to question on fact relating to combustion, heat and steam and calculate consumption of coal and water and quantity of steam that may be generated from a given grate area of heating surface under the various systems of draught, in any land boiler and also calculate the overall efficiency of boiler plant

e.     the significance of principal appliance in use for the prevention of smoke and the principle on which they work and give description of the principal mechanical stokers, pulverizers, gas, oil and pulverized  fuel systems in use

f.      the need for periodical cleaning, the methods used for prevention of scale or other deposits of heating surfaces and the necessity for maintaining a certain PH value in feed water

g.     detection of  defects in boilers and state the means and methods of rectifying them

h.     the precautions to be taken for starting a boiler and economizer from cold or from banked fire condition

i.      the procedure to be adopted in putting an economizer out of commission while the boiler is on steam

j.      the methods adopted for the achievement of fuel economy and the use of various instruments used in a Boiler House

k.     the principal causes and effects of corrosion and incrustation and the usual remedies employed

l.      the object of the use of water softeners

m.   the principles on which feed pumps and injectors work

n.     the principles on which appliances for the prevention of smoke works, and

o.     the purpose of super-heaters, economizers, feed heaters, feed filters, forced and induced draft appliances and mechanical stokers.

II.            SECOND CLASS BOILER ATTENDANT 

1. A second class boiler attendant is eligible to be in charge of a single boiler of heating surface area of 200 sq.m. maximum. He is also eligible to be in charge of a battery of two or three connected boilers, provided that the aggregate heating surface area of all connected boilers does not exceed 200 sq.m., and all such boilers are situated within a radius of 30 m in the same premises and belong to the same owner.

2. An applicant for second class boiler attendant Examination shall have completed the age of eighteen. He shall have passed matriculation (SSLC) Examination. He shall have working experience of minimum two years on a steam boiler under a second class boiler attendant or a first class boiler attendant (OR) He shall have working experience of minimum two years of being in-charge of a small industrial boiler (SIB).

3. A candidate, in order to be qualified for a certificate of competency of the Second Class, is expected, by the Board of Examiners, to have a clear understanding of 

a.     the working and management of a steam boiler and economiser

b.     the use and purpose of the various valves, cocks, mountings and fittings

c.     the precautions to be taken and procedure to be observed before starting fires and when raising steam

d.     the use of a feed pump and injector

e.     the reading of the pressure gauge

f.      the need for periodical cleaning and pure water supply and for prevention of scale or other deposits on heating surfaces

g.     the need for periodical inspection of boilers and the manner in which they should be prepared for thorough inspection, hydraulic test and steam test

h.     the precautions to be taken before entering or allowing any person to enter a boiler that is connected to another boiler under steam

i.      the use of the best means of firing for the prevention of smoke

j.      the danger of water lodging in steam pipes and the precautions to be observed in draining

k.     the procedure to be followed in the event of shortage of water, bulging or fracture of furnaces or flat plates or bursting of tubes or of any accident to a boiler or steam pipe

l.      precautions to be taken when starting an economiser to work after a period of rest and

m.   procedure to be adopted in bringing an economiser into commission and also for putting it out of commission while the boiler is on steam.

4.     A candidate, in order to be qualified for a certificate of competency of the Second Class, is also expected to demonstrate, to the Board of Examiners, his ability

a.     to stoke a boiler including cleaning and banking fires in a workmanlike manner

b.     to show how avoidable smoke may be prevented

c.     to blow through and test the correctness of water gauge glasses and test cocks

d.     to replace a gauge glass and show how a false water-level might be shown

e.     to ease a safety valve and use a blow down cock or valve

f.      to adjust a high steam and low water safety valve and renew a fusible plug

g.     to pack pump or valve chest glands

h.     to grind and adjust cocks and valves

i.      to take a feed pump or injector to pieces and replace in working order, and 

j.    to handle the appliances provided for keeping the economiser clean.