. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/COL/129 
20 May 2009 
 (09-2469) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   Spanish 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   COLOMBIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:   Ministerio de la Protección Social  (Ministry of Social Welfare) 
Name and address (including telephone  and fax numbers, e-mail and website 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ X], 5.7.1 [ ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Steam boilers 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Ministry of 
Social Welfare Resolution "to issue technical regulations on steam boilers for use in Colombia" (69 pages, in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:   Purpose;  Scope;  Definitions;  System of Units and Symbols;  
Classification of boilers;  Risks in boilers;  Occupational health programme;  Requirements 
for installation and operation authorization;  Operating permit;  General requirements for 
installation and operation;  Structures;  Installation requirements according to boiler category;  Chimneys;  Storage, handling and supply of combustible liquids;  Day tanks for 
combustible liquids;  Surface tanks;  Underg round tanks;  Combustible liquid heating 
systems;  Basic design and manufacturing requi rements;  Controls, indicators and minimum 
safety devices for boilers;  Control, indicator and safety devices;  Supplementary devices;  
Operation and maintenance;  Inspection, t esting and verification of safety conditions;  
Internal and External visual inspection;  Tes ting:  hydrostatic, safety valve, steam pressure 
control, level control, temperature control, accumulation, combustion efficiency verification and Special tests;  Checking of  combustion trains and flame control;  
Requirements for annual boiler operation certification;  steam and hot water piping 
systems, valves and accessories;  Temporary provisions;  Monitoring and control;  Occupational health and industrial safety;  Investigation of industrial accidents and 
incidents;  Emergency preparedness and response;   Identification, evaluation and control of 
occupational risks;  Preventive and occupati onal medicine;  Occupational health works 
committee;  Prevention and safety measu res;  Penalties (for non-compliance in 
occupational health);  Revision and upda ting;  Penalty regime and Annexes. G/TBT/N/COL/129 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human, animal and plant life,  health and safety;  Protection of the 
environment;  Prevention of practices liable to mislead users;  and User protection. 
8. Relevant documents:   Resolution No. 1823 of 1991 of the Supervisory Authority for 
Industry and Commerce, Resolution No. 02400 of 22 May 1979, Resolution No. 1016 of 
31 March 1989 of the Ministry of Labour a nd Social Security and Health, Resolution 
No. 1074 of 1997 of the Ministry of the E nvironment, Colombian Earthquake Resistant 
Standard NSR-98, Colombian technical standards:  NTC 2885, NTC 1931 and NTC 1910, NTC 3458 Technical Electrical Installation Regulations – RETIE (Resolution No. 18 1294 
of 6 August 2008 of the Ministry of Mining and Energy) notified in document 
G/TBT/N/COL/20/Add.8, NFPA 30, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code (Sections 1, 2, 5 and 9) for Pressure Vessels, API 1104. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force:  }Date of signing of the Resolutions six months 
after publication in the Diario Oficial  (Official 
Journal). 
10. Final date for comments:   18 August 2009 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and website addresses,  if available of the other body: 
 
Enquiry Point: Contact person:  Daniel Héctor Rico R. E-mail:  drico@mincomercio.gov.co 
Telephone:  (+571) 606 7676 Ext. 1690 
Fax:  (+571) 241 0480  Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo Dirección de Regulación Calle 28 Nº 13A - 15, tercer piso 
Bogotá, D.C. – COLOMBIA 
Telephone:  (+571) 241 0478 Website: http://secgen.comunidadandina.org/sirt/
 
 Ministerio de la Protección Social 
Dirección General de Salud Publica 
Carrera 13 No. 32 – 76 Bogotá, D.  C., Colombia Telephone:  +(571) 330 5000 Fax:  +(571) 336 0182 
E-mail:  galvarez@minproteccionsocial.gov.co 
Website: http://www.minproteccionsocial.gov.co/