Codes, Regulations, and Operator Responsibilities (N.J.A.C. 12:90)
The framework
New Jersey's Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, N.J.A.C. 12:90, adopts, by reference, the ASME boiler and pressure vessel codes and related standards and layers on state-specific requirements: construction and installation approval, inspection by authorized inspectors, certificates to operate, operator licensing, accident reporting, and the duties of owners and operators. The rules also define key terms - a high-pressure boiler is generally one operating above 15 psig steam or above 160 psig (or 250°F) water, while low-pressure heating boilers sit at or below those thresholds - and they assign responsibility for safe operation to the owner and to the licensed operator on shift.
Operator responsibilities
Operators must hold the license/credential required for the plant's size and pressure, operate within the boiler's MAWP, keep the required logs and records, post the certificate, maintain water treatment and testing, and never disable a safety device. Owners must obtain installation and operating approval, maintain the boiler, schedule required inspections, and report accidents and unsafe conditions. New Jersey issues operator credentials commonly referred to as seals - boiler operator and steam engineer levels - and the exact scope and experience requirements for each are set by the licensing board, so verify the current rule rather than relying on memory.
Traps
Questions commonly test who may inspect (only authorized inspectors), what must be posted, what the operator may not do (adjust safety valves, alter pressure parts without authorization, operate an uncertified boiler), and what triggers reporting. Memorize thresholds and definitions rather than the subchapter numbers, but do know that 12:90 governs and that ASME Sections I and IV are adopted by reference.
Worked example
An owner wants to raise a boiler's operating pressure from 100 to 140 psig because load has grown. The correct answer: this is not an operator adjustment. The MAWP is fixed by design and nameplate; a change requires engineering review, possible modifications, re-rating, new safety-valve settings, and notification to the authority having jurisdiction.