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ASME SPPE 2B-1995 — Accreditation of Testing Laboratories for Safety and Pollution Prevention Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations (Addenda 2B)
📕 ASME SPPE 2B-1995 is the second Addenda to ASME SPPE-2-1994, Accreditation of Testing Laboratories for Safety and Pollution Prevention Equipment (SPPE) Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations. It was issued on July 17, 1995, and approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on June 12, 1995. The first Addenda (2A-1994) was published on October 31, 1994. This addenda makes three changes: a complete revision of the Statements of Policy on the use of ASME marks and code authorization in advertising, a revision of page 11 laboratory requirements (notably LA-5310 test equipment), and an update of the API Spec 14D listing in Appendix I — a comprehensive addenda touching the policy layer, the capability layer, and the referenced-standards layer.
💡 Margin-note convention: SPPE-2-1994 base text carries note (94), changes from the first Addenda (2A) carry (a), and changes from this second Addenda carry (b).
1. What This Addenda Changed 📌
Per the Summary of Changes, pages iv, 11, and 13 were replaced:
| Page | Location | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Page iv | Statements of Policy | Revised in their entirety |
| Page 11 | LA-5000 (Laboratory Requirements) | Revised — notably LA-5310 test equipment |
| Page 13 | Appendix I | Listing for API Specification 14D revised |
2. Statements of Policy: ASME Marks and Advertising 🔧
The revised Statements of Policy reaffirm the core principles governing the use of ASME marks and advertising claims:
- 🔍 Accrediting, not certifying: ASME does not “approve,” “certify,” “rate,” or “endorse” any item, construction, or activity; ASME’s role is to establish procedures authorizing qualified organizations to perform activities per the codes and standards.
- 🔧 Advertising wording: a holder of an ASME mark and/or Certificate of Authorization may state that its items or activities “are built (produced or performed), or activities are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the applicable ASME code or standard”; it must not imply ASME “approval” or “certification.”
- 📊 Mark exclusivity: the ASME Code Symbol Stamp is used only for stamping and nameplates as provided in the applicable code or standard; the official ASME logo (cloverleaf with the letters ASME) may be used only by ASME itself.
- 📋 Nameplate wording: stampings, labels, or nameplates must include the words “Certified by (Manufacturer)” to clarify that ASME is an accrediting rather than certifying organization.
⚠️ Advertising boundaries are strict: no item not constructed to all applicable code or standard requirements may bear any “ASME” or Code Symbol mark, nor be described on ASME Data Report forms or similar forms implying that all requirements have been met.
3. Laboratory Requirements Revision (LA-5310 Test Equipment) 🔍
The page 11 revision strengthens the requirements on laboratory organization and hardware capability:
| Element | Key Requirements |
|---|---|
| Organization (LA-5100) | Must be engaged in technical engineering activities — equipment manufacturers, independent R&D institutes, universities, or independent testing laboratories |
| Staff (LA-5200) | At least one person with an engineering degree from an accredited school plus at least 2 years of equipment-testing experience (or equivalent), responsible for assuring written test procedures are followed and signing/dating results |
| Test Equipment (LA-5310) | Equipment needed to conduct the referenced-standard SPPE verification tests plus instrumentation to record important test parameters (pressure, force, temperature, flow, displacement, strain; oscilloscopes, strip chart recorders, X-Y recorders, voltmeters, signal conditioners) |
The laboratory must document its test equipment in schematic diagrams or equivalent, identify key equipment relating to important SPPE test conditions and measured parameters, and hold the specific referenced standards for which tests are to be conducted.
💡 Test-equipment capability is core evidence for accreditation evaluation: beyond equipment explicitly required by the referenced standards, the laboratory must also have the supporting instrumentation necessary to conduct the tests and document its equipment in schematics.
4. Appendix I Referenced-Version Update 🛠️
The Appendix I revision updates the API Spec 14D listing (wellhead surface and underwater safety valves for offshore service) to the current API edition. As with other SPPE addenda, version synchronization of referenced standards is a hard requirement for continuing accreditation:
- 📊 Version synchronization: after the new addenda takes effect, laboratories must perform tests per the latest referenced editions and check criterion changes.
- 🔍 Accreditation basis update: referenced-standard editions noted in the Certificate of Accreditation scope should be updated with each addenda.
- 📋 Document control: API editions cited in QA Manuals and test procedures must align with the latest Appendix I.
🚨 Source evaluation, test-equipment documentation, and referenced-version synchronization must proceed together or an ASME evaluation will raise nonconformances; laboratories should maintain an “addenda tracking checklist” verified cycle by cycle.
5. Frequently Asked Questions ❓
❓ Q: What did SPPE 2B-1995 revise?
A: It completely revised the Statements of Policy on ASME marks and code authorization in advertising, revised page 11 laboratory requirements (LA-5310 test equipment), and updated the API Spec 14D listing in Appendix I.
A: It completely revised the Statements of Policy on ASME marks and code authorization in advertising, revised page 11 laboratory requirements (LA-5310 test equipment), and updated the API Spec 14D listing in Appendix I.
❓ Q: What staff qualifications are required for equipment testing?
A: At least one person must hold an engineering degree from an accredited school plus at least 2 years of equipment-testing experience (or equivalent via experience and training), and must assure written test procedures are followed and sign/date test results.
A: At least one person must hold an engineering degree from an accredited school plus at least 2 years of equipment-testing experience (or equivalent via experience and training), and must assure written test procedures are followed and sign/date test results.
❓ Q: May an accredited laboratory advertise “ASME certified”?
A: No. ASME is an accrediting, not certifying, organization; an organization may state its items are built per the applicable ASME code or standard, and nameplates must say “Certified by (Manufacturer).”
A: No. ASME is an accrediting, not certifying, organization; an organization may state its items are built per the applicable ASME code or standard, and nameplates must say “Certified by (Manufacturer).”
🔍 Q: How is test-equipment compliance demonstrated?
A: Document test equipment in schematic diagrams or equivalent, identify key equipment relating to important SPPE test conditions and measured parameters, and retain the referenced standard texts for the tests performed.
A: Document test equipment in schematic diagrams or equivalent, identify key equipment relating to important SPPE test conditions and measured parameters, and retain the referenced standard texts for the tests performed.
