The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors was created in 1919 to promote greater safety to life and property through uniformity in the construction, installation, repair, maintenance, and inspection of pressure equipment.

The National Board membership oversees adherence to laws, rules, and regulations relating to boilers and pressure vessels. The National Board Members are the chief boiler inspectors representing most states and all provinces of North America, as well as many major cities in the United States. 

Functions

The National Board's functions include:

• Promoting safety and educating the public and government officials on the need for manufacturing, maintenance, and repair standards.
• Offering comprehensive training programs in the form of continuing education for both inspectors and pressure equipment professionals.
• Enabling a qualified inspection process by commissioning inspectors through a comprehensive examination administered by the National Board.
• Setting worldwide industry standards for pressure relief devices and other appurtenances through operation of an international pressure relief testing laboratory.
• Providing a repository of Manufacturers’ Data Reports through a registration process.
• Accrediting qualified repair and alteration companies, inservice Authorized Inspection Agencies, and owner-user inspection organizations.
• Investigating pressure equipment accidents and issues involving code compliance.
• Developing installation, inspection, repair, and alteration standards (National Board Inspection Code).

Resources Available from the National Board

• Statistical reports of violation findings within participating National Board jurisdictions.
• Synopsized jurisdiction boiler and pressure vessel laws of North America.
• Access to pressure equipment expertise from knowledgeable industry professionals.
• An extensive collection of publications and technical articles available on the
  National Board Web site.
• Pressure equipment safety videos.
• State-of-the-art training facilities and online seminars.
• Annual General Meeting of pressure equipment professionals.

National Board Inspection Code

This American National Standard has been adopted by most states and cities, all Canadian provinces, and federal regulatory agencies including the US Department of Transportation. It is the only standard recognized worldwide for inservice inspection repairs and alterations of boilers and pressure vessels.