Island businesses and the provincial economy will benefit from a new accreditation achieved by the Inspection Services branch of the provincial Environment Division, said Minister of Communities, Land and Environment Robert Mitchell.
“Inspection Services has received accreditation as an American Society of Mechanical Engineers Authorized Inspection Agency for boilers and pressure vessels,” said Minister Mitchell. “This internationally recognized accreditation means that we can now provide inspection and certification services here on Prince Edward Island for Island companies. This will allow Island businesses to increase their productivity, reduce inspection costs and expand their international export market.”
Accredited Authorized Inspection Agencies are responsible for performing inspections of ASME pressure equipment certificate holders during the manufacturing process. Currently, there are only 31 ASME AIAs worldwide.
Prior to this fall, Island businesses had to hire off-Island inspectors at a high cost with lengthy wait times. It will now cost businesses only about 20 per cent of what they use to pay with no wait times delaying their production and exportation.
Island businesses are pleased with government’s commitment to growing the private sector.
“AIA Certification for P.E.I. is a significant milestone in Charlottetown Metal Product’s development as an exporter of ASME certified pressure vessels and related products,” said CMP president Steve Kelly. “Historically, we have had to import inspection and certification services from outside of P.E.I. There is a significant cost factor in doing this but more importantly the scheduling difficulty of bringing in outside inspectors creates major inefficiencies in our manufacturing process. We appreciate the foresight that the provincial government has shown in bringing this initiative forward to reality.”
Director of Technical Services Mark Steele with Diversified Metal Engineering Ltd. said, “P.E.I. Inspection Services becoming an ASME Authorized Inspection Agency is a significant achievement. It will make DME and all Island companies more competitive when bidding on work requiring this certification. DME continues to invest in maintaining our own ASME certification because we see opportunity in the market and are very happy to have the Government of P.E.I. making this progressive investment in P.E.I. manufacturing.”