Essential for Safety

Abstract

This article discusses how ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) has continued to evolve in the past 100 years to meet the needs of the engineers using the most advanced technology. The first edition of what has now become the ASME BPVC was published in 1914. The Code has continued to expand and adapt over the years to meet the needs of new technologies, many unimagined 100 years ago. The Code continues to meet new challenges and to extend its influence in the cause of safety around the globe. The volunteers who meet four times a year to maintain and extend the Code are completely dedicated to translating sometimes painfully gained experience into rules that strive to protect people. It's why competitors come together and share critical knowledge with one another and the public, and why volunteers dedicate time that almost universally extends well beyond the traditional 40-hour work week.