The new Code will contain considerable changes, and will require compliance by January 1, 2005 for companies who are ASME stamp holders — that is, companies that are accredited by ASME to stamp their products with the ASME Code symbol stamp, indicating that their products conform to the ASME BPV Code.

The ASME BPV Code is designed to provide manufacturers with standard rules related to the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers, pressure vessels, and nuclear power plant components. The goal of the Code is for equipment bearing the ASME Code symbol stamp to meet standards that will help ensure the safety of workers and the general public and provide an acceptable margin for deterioration in service. Petrochemical companies using pressure equipment in their operations must meet local jurisdictional requirements, which in many places, means using equipment that meets ASME standards.

The 2004 BPV Code, which is being released July 1, 2004, contains a number of revisions. In particular, several will be of interest to petrochemical companies and the manufacturers who supply equipment to them.