How steamship boilers were kept from exploding

What measures kept steamship boilers from exploding?

Careful crack inspection and pressure-relief safety valves were the core safeguards.

Preventing boiler explosions began with meticulous inspection for cracks and other developing faults. Engineers had to identify weakening metal before pressure turned a small defect into a catastrophic rupture. Safety valves provided a second protection by opening when steam pressure crossed a set threshold. Venting that excess pressure reduced the chance that an abnormal operating condition became an explosion.