The Benefit of a New Jersey Licensed Boiler Operator

A properly trained New Jersey state licensed boiler operator is the best instrument when it comes to ensuring a safe, reliable, and efficient operation. Not all states or jurisdictions have boiler operator license requirements. In some cases, states have no requirements but a city within that state requires a demonstration of competency or specific license to be obtained. In the state of New Jersey, the rules and regulations set a very specific standard of operation and licensing to ensure safe boiler performance and set forth by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and ASME. Particular attention is given to locations with high levels of occupancy and it only requires an understanding of some historic steam boiler failures to understand why it’s a necessity. New Jersey alone has different licensing and testing requirements for low pressure boiler - white seal - and high pressure boiler systems - black seal, blue seal, red seal, and gold seal.

A licensed operator becomes much more valuable than just checking the box for state compliance and limiting risk for regulatory penalties - which can range from $500 daily to $5,000 daily for each incident in the state of New Jersey. No facility manager wants to explain compliance failure or a lack of occupational safety. The other benefit in a licensed operator is knowing they demonstrated a minimum level of competency relative to industry as a whole which is required to be qualified to safely operate and maintain steam and hot water boiler equipment. In short, the operator does more than just solve compliance; they ensure abnormal operating conditions are identified prior to a life-threatening disaster situation. An operator's evaluation of plant operation is critical regardless of the world of modern safety controls. Today's Boiler failures are attributed largely to a lack of attention to the basic responsibilities that a licensed operator is required to carry out in their daily routine.