India boilers
Annual Boiler Shutdown India: Inspection and Overhaul
In India a boiler certificate lasts no more than twelve months in the main case under the Boilers Act, 2025, so the boiler must be inspected and the certificate renewed by a competent person each year; "boiler passing" is plant slang for that process, not a legal term. The Act came into force on 1 May 2025. This page gives the rules, a 15-day example plan and a cool-down to light-up sequence.
How MaintWiz helps: Boiler stops need inspection steps, permits and records in order. The MaintWiz shutdown module shows permits and isolations from ePTW on each work order and blocks closing a package while a permit or isolation is open. See the module · Get the permit register
By Jai Balachandran · Published · Last reviewed
What MaintWiz adds:Permits and isolations from ePTWShown on each work orderPackage cannot close with an open permitApprovals by signed-in user
The law
Is an annual boiler inspection mandatory in India?
Yes in effect: under the Boilers Act, 2025, a boiler certificate authorizes use for no more than twelve months in the main case, and when it ends the owner must have the boiler inspected by a competent person to renew it. 1
Update for India: the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 came into force on 21 November 2025 and subsumes the Factories Act, 1948. The Act sections quoted on this page now have corresponding duties in the Code, and the Centre and the states are still issuing rules under it, so confirm the current rule for your state before you plan work. 6,7
The Act came into force on 1 May 2025 by a Gazette notification of 30 April 2025. 2 It repealed the Boilers Act, 1923, and Section 45 keeps rules and regulations made under the old Act in effect until new ones are made, so the details of tests and forms still sit in regulations. 1 This page quotes only the Act text.
| Topic | Provision | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| In force | Notification of 30 April 2025 | The Central Government appointed 1 May 2025 as the date on which the provisions of the Act come into force; the Act lets different dates be appointed for different provisions | Boilers Act commencement notification, Boilers Act 2025 |
| Certificate period | Section 12(6) | The certificate authorizes use of the boiler for a period not exceeding twelve months; for an economiser or unfired boiler forming an integral part of certain processing plant, not exceeding twenty-four months | Boilers Act 2025 |
| When a certificate ends | Section 13(1) | On expiry; when an accident occurs; when the boiler is moved (with exceptions); on structural alteration, addition or renewal (with exceptions); and on an order prohibiting use as dangerous | Boilers Act 2025 |
| Renewal | Section 13(3)-(5) | The owner applies to the competent person, who inspects within fifteen days of receiving the application; if satisfied the boiler and components are in good condition, grants a certificate for the period specified by regulations | Boilers Act 2025 |
| Use while renewal is pending | Section 15 | If the owner applied for renewal before expiry, the boiler may be used at the maximum pressure on the expired certificate pending the order on renewal | Boilers Act 2025 |
| Provisional order | Section 14 | An Inspector may permit use at a stated pressure pending the Chief Inspector's order; it ceases on the earliest of six months, the Chief Inspector's order and certain events | Boilers Act 2025 |
| Repairs | Section 10(1) | No repair unless, among other conditions, welders hold a welder's certificate, a boiler repairer is engaged where there are no in-house facilities, a competent person approves the repairs, and the safety of persons working inside the boiler is ensured by the measures the regulations specify | Boilers Act 2025 |
| Old law | Section 45 | The Boilers Act, 1923 is repealed; rules, regulations and orders made under it have effect under the new Act until new ones are made; boilers registered under it are deemed registered; certificates in force continue until the date shown | Boilers Act 2025 |
Boiler passing
What is boiler passing?
"Boiler passing" is plant slang, not a term in the Boilers Act; it is generally understood in Indian plants as the boiler being inspected and declared fit so its certificate can be renewed, while the Act speaks of inspection by a competent person and renewal of the certificate. 1
The steps in the Act are: the certificate ceases at the end of its period; the owner applies for renewal to the competent person; the competent person inspects within fifteen days and, if satisfied, grants a certificate for the period set by regulations; if not, they may refuse for reasons recorded in writing and report to the Chief Inspector. 1 The competent person must tell the owner of any defect or deficiency within forty-eight hours of the inspection. 1
So a plant should plan its annual shutdown so the boiler is open, clean, repaired and ready for the competent person before the certificate expires, and should file the renewal application before expiry to keep the right to run the boiler meanwhile. 1
Software
Can software help with an annual boiler shutdown?
Software can hold the certificate expiry date, the shutdown schedule, the repair packages, the permits and the inspection evidence together, so the boiler is ready for the competent person before the date.
About MaintWiz. MaintWiz is an industrial AI platform with IoT, SAP integration and predictive maintenance (PdM) capabilities. Its shutdown and turnaround module helps plants plan, schedule, execute and close out shutdown work.
Also see annual shutdown planning in India.
What the shutdown module covers
As described on the MaintWiz shutdown maintenance product page.
- Gantt chart with the critical path and float for the annual shutdown
- Preventive maintenance scheduling shared with the shutdown module, so due certificates and inspections are visible
- Work orders with tick, reading and photo tasks for inspection findings and pressure readings
- Permits and isolations from ePTW shown on each work order
- Readiness gates and sign-offs recorded with the name, date and reason
- Handover note and as-left summary on each work order
Proof
What MaintWiz customers report
Figures as published in MaintWiz case studies on maintwiz.com. They come from maintenance management projects, not shutdowns.
Worked plan
How long does an annual boiler shutdown take in India?
There is no published benchmark for the duration of an annual boiler overhaul; the example below is an invented 15-day plan that shows how the critical path runs through cool-down, inspection, repairs, box-up, pressure test, certification and light-up.
Terms are in the shutdown turnaround glossary; the job list format is in the free shutdown templates. Sugar mills run a boiler-led off-season: sugar mill off-season maintenance shutdown planning.
The critical path is A, B, C, D, G, H, I, J: 15 days. Refractory repair (E) has 2 days of float and the mountings overhaul (F) has 4, so they can slip without moving the finish. Add a repair package and everything after it moves: for example, five more days on the tube repairs moves light-up by five days. 4
Every duration is invented for illustration. The pressure test step is a placeholder: test requirements are set by the regulations and your competent person. Use your own inspection history to estimate. See the critical path and float example.
Sequence
What is the cool-down and light-up sequence for a boiler shutdown?
A boiler shutdown runs in eight steps: plan and notify, cool down and isolate, open and make safe, inspect, repair, box up, test and certify, and light up, with a permit and a record at each step.
A free Excel file for this page: India annual shutdown format and boiler checklist (.xlsx).
| Step | What happens | Control |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Plan and notify | Agree the window, the scope and the competent person's visit; book repair and welding resources | Welders hold the required certificates (Act s.10(1)(c)) |
| 2. Cool down and isolate | Take the boiler off load, cool at the rate your procedure sets, isolate steam, feed, fuel and flue paths, drain | Lockout and tagout; record the isolation points |
| 3. Open and make safe | Open drums and manholes, ventilate, test the atmosphere, erect access | Confined space entry permit and a standby person |
| 4. Inspect | Clean and inspect pressure parts, mountings and refractory; record findings | Findings logged and sent to the planner |
| 5. Repair | Repair pressure parts under approval of a competent person; overhaul mountings | Repairs approved (Act s.10(1)(e)); welding records |
| 6. Box up | Remove tools and debris, count and sign out tools, close manholes with new gaskets | Foreign-object check before closing |
| 7. Test and certify | Pressure test as the regulations and the competent person require; competent person inspects for the certificate | Application for renewal filed before expiry (Act s.15) |
| 8. Light up | Fire in stages, check mountings under steam, return to service | Steam trial record; restart review |
For entering a boiler, the Factories Act s.36 says a person may not enter a confined space in which gas, fume, vapor or dust is likely to be present unless a competent person certifies in writing that it is reasonably free, or the person wears breathing apparatus with a rope held outside. 3 Lockout and isolation follow your own procedure; see permit to work during a shutdown.
The sequence is a working template, not the statutory procedure or an engineering instruction. Your boiler manufacturer's instructions and the competent person's requirements govern. A boiler engineer should review it.
Permits
What permits are needed to enter a boiler?
Entry into a boiler is a confined space entry: the Factories Act requires a competent person's written certificate that the space is reasonably free of dangerous gas, fume, vapor or dust, or breathing apparatus with a rope held outside, and state factory rules and your site permit system add detail. 3
For confined space and isolation see permit to work during a shutdown.
| Item | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entry into a boiler or drum | Factories Act s.36: certification in writing that the space is reasonably free of gas, fume, vapor or dust, or breathing apparatus with a rope held outside; state factory rules add detail | Factories Act 1948 |
| Portable lights inside | Factories Act s.36A: portable electric lights above 24 volts are restricted in such spaces | Factories Act 1948 |
| Repairs | Boilers Act s.10: certified welders, approved repairs, safety of persons inside ensured by the regulations' measures | Boilers Act 2025 |
| Energy isolation | Your own procedure; for reference, the US OSHA lockout rule requires verification of isolation before work | OSHA 1910.147 |
Visuals
Save the boiler charts
Two charts to share with your boiler team. Click either for the full-size image.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is boiler passing?
Plant slang, not a legal term, generally for the boiler being inspected and declared fit for its certificate to be renewed. No authoritative definition was found. The Act speaks of inspection by a competent person and renewal of the certificate. 1
Is an annual boiler inspection mandatory in India?
A boiler certificate lasts no more than twelve months in the main case, and renewal needs an inspection by a competent person. 1 Confirm the current rules with your Inspector of Boilers.
Is the Boilers Act, 2025 in force?
The Central Government appointed 1 May 2025 for the provisions to come into force. 2 The Act repealed the Boilers Act, 1923, and kept rules and regulations made under it in effect until new ones are made. 1
How long does an annual boiler overhaul take?
There is no published benchmark. The 15-day plan on this page is invented; plan from your own history.
Can I keep running while renewal is pending?
If the renewal application was made before the certificate expired, the Act lets the owner use the boiler at the maximum pressure on the expired certificate pending the order. 1
What happens to the certificate after a structural alteration or accident?
It ceases to be in force, with limited exceptions. 1
Who approves boiler repairs?
A competent person approves repairs; welders hold a welder's certificate; a boiler repairer is engaged where the user has no in-house facilities. 1
Where is the plant-wide view?
See annual shutdown planning in India and the shutdown timing guide.
Sources
Sources
- Government of India, The Boilers Act, 2025 (Act No. 12 of 2025), Gazette text as published by PRS India
- Government of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Gazette notification of 30 April 2025 appointing 1 May 2025 for the Boilers Act, 2025 (copy hosted by the Government of Goa)
- Government of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment, The Factories Act, 1948
- US Government Accountability Office, GAO Schedule Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Project Schedules (GAO-16-89G, December 2015)
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.147, The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)
- PRS Legislative Research, The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020
- DLA Piper, Government of India notifies the Labour Codes (November 2025)
Keep permits and isolations tied to the work
Book a demo and bring your permit process. We will show how ePTW permits and isolations appear on each work order.