What is PESO Certification

1. 1. What is the PESO certification for India?

The PESO certification or more precisely Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation of India registration describes the mandatory approval program for the oil and gas industry or products that work with gases, are used in the oil industry, or that have to withstand very corrosive environments. The PESO certification was previously called the Chief Controller of Explosives (CCOE) examination and is based on the Explosives Act of 1884 and the Petroleum Act of 1934 and all related legislation thereafter, in particular the Explosives Rules of 2008 and the Petroleum Rules of 2002 (for a detailed list, check the overview on Indian PESO Standards).

Products that need a PESO certificate in India especially include explosion proof products, pressure vessels and products for the oil, coal, gas and mining industry. This applies in particular to explosion-proof products, pressure vessels and products for the oil, coal, gas and mining industries.

Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization Logo

Here is a brief video about the PESO certification, presented by Julian Busch, director of
MPR International GmbH:

1. 1. • Which products are covered by PESO?

A detailed list of products needing certification can be found here. Apart from the products mentioned above also electrical equipment that needs to withstand highly corrosive saltwater or very hot environments require a PESO registration. Purely mechanical components are also subject to PESO certification if they are used in hazardous areas in India.

Generally, one can follow a very simple principle for explosion-proof products: All products that need either IECEx or ATEX certification also need PESO.

1. 1. • Why the change from CCOE to PESO?

With the aim of simplifying administration and the increasing specialisation of the authority, the original Department of Explosives (with head office in Nagpur and the CCoE at the top) was transformed into the current Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation since 2010. The CCoE is still at the top but is now called the Chief Inspector of Explosives. In addition, CCoE is also the formal title of the Indian auditors as well as all directors within the organisation who are responsible for issuing certificates & licences. Therefore, the term “CCoE certification” is still widely used.

1. 1. • Is PESO certification mandatory

Generally speaking, all products that have IECEx or ATEX certification, also need PESO. Please be aware, however, that due to the generally more dangerous nature of the products that fall under PESO, higher diligence is also required by the companies that want to have their products certified. For example, past and expected future sales numbers could be requested, or other related commercial information such as existing clients or client reviews.

1. 2. Process of PESO certification

The PESO certification process is as follows:

PESO certification process in 4 steps

1. 1. • Detailed process of PESO certification in India

        1. Preparation of application documents, especially ATEX/ IECEx certificates and test reports
        2. Application at PESO authority
        3. Checking of application documents by PESO
        4. Only for certain products: Tests in India
        5. Only for certain products such as pressure vessels: Factory audit
        6. Issuance of PESO certificate

1. 1. • How does the certification process work?

In most cases, up-to-date ATEX or IECEx certificates and their test reports as well as QAR/QAN are accepted. Certification is thus in general limited to a purely administrative process of document verification. Experience shows that the volume of documents required is relatively large but can vary from project to project (approx. 50-100 documents).

How to apply for PESO certification?

Besides the documents required for the application, the authority also requests information on the manufacturer, its Indian representative (AIR), the products/components, the plant, as well as commercial information.

For more detailed information on how you can get PESO certification, please check the overview for the application documents for the Indian PESO certification.

Please be aware that, just like in most other Indian certifications, you will need a local Indian applicant (Authorized Indian Representative, AIR). PESO also has special requirements for the Indian representative. On the one hand, the representative must be technically qualified and trained for your product, on the other hand, a contractual commitment of the AIR for at least 5 years is necessary. The AIR can be provided in several ways, e.g. through your own subsidiary or sales office in India, or through external service providers. If desired, we can support you in the provision of the AIR.

In more complex cases, on-site acceptance and possibly even tests in India may still be required. In any case, the documents must be up to date with the latest standards and preferably not older than 2 years.

Apart from the classic PESO certification, in some cases it is also possible to carry out an individual approval in India. Experience has shown that this is more cost-effective and the requirements for the documents are lower as well. However, the products and components approved within the scope of the individual approval can only be used in the context of the project for which the approval was granted. This type of approval is therefore particularly suitable for companies that only want to import small quantities to India as part of a single shipment.

For more information about the certification process in general, please read our page PESO certification process.

After a certificate has been issued, proper change management is crucial to maintain its warranty. Read more on this topic on our article about PESO change management.

Where can I learn more?

Are you interested in PESO product certification for the Indian oil and gas market? Then please do not hesitate to contact us:

1. 1. • We will check for you, without obligation, whether your product is subject to mandatory certification
      • We will prepare a non-binding offer for PESO certification to give you an idea of the costs and effort involved
      • When you order our services, we will accompany you through the entire certification process. We take care of all communication with the Indian authorities, advise you on how to fill out the application documents and support you in appointing a local representative.
      • We pay all application and testing fees to the Indian authorities
      • We make sure that your certification process runs as smoothly and quickly as possible and that your efforts are kept to a minimum

Here you will find further information on our PESO full service package.

We would be pleased to support as your PESO certification agency and are also available to answer your questions at any time. Send us an email or call us at +49-69-2713769261.

We will be happy to support you.