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HEALTH AND SAFETY
Within the PSSR the question is asked: is the pressure x volume of the pressure vessel greater than 250 bar litres?
If YES - then a written scheme and inspection certificate will need to be issued to comply with the legislation. This calculation takes the pressure rated in bars and this is multiplied by the capacity of the tank in litres. This is commonly found on a plate on the receiver. e.g. MWP 11 bar 50 litres capacity In this example, the MWP (maximum working pressure) is 11 bar multiplied by the 50 litre capacity, which gives a rating of 550 bar litres.
1 bar is equivalent to approximately 15 psi. As a general rule, air receivers with a diameter in excess of 12 inches operating at 150 psi will need to comply with the legislation.
The other components of the air compressor set (i.e. compressor and motor) do not need a statutory inspection. If an air compressor has no receiver it does not need an inspection. Hydrovane manufacture compressors have no receivers and are consequently exempt from the legislation.
Q.What is the difference between an air receiver and an air compressor? Do they both need an inspection? An air compressor has three component parts:
• Driving motor
• Compressor - which compresses the air
• Air receiver - a pressure vessel, which stores the compressed air.
The air receiver is the only part of the air compressor unit that needs a ‘statutory’ examination.
The air compressor and driving motor do not need an inspection - but should be regularly serviced and maintained by the user.
Some air compressors only have two components - a driving motor and an air compressor.
The delivery of compressed air is immediate and the need to store air in a pressure vessel is not required. Because these compressors do not have an air receiver they do not need examination.
The term ‘compressor’ is also used for refrigeration compressors on fridges, cold stores, freezers and air conditioning systems.
Refrigeration compressors only require examination under regulations where the driving motor exceeds 25kW. The majority of commercial cold stores operate using motors well below this limit.
Q. How often do air receivers need to be examined?
An examination usually takes place once every 12 months.
However the type and frequency of
examination are defined by the written scheme.
For the majority of air receivers the first examination is a full, internal thorough inspection.
The next inspection, 12 months later, is a working external examination and the following year it requires another thorough examination. This means there is a thorough examination every two years.
With the agreement of the customer, the written scheme can be amended so that both the thorough and external examination are completed at the same time and therefore only one examination takes place - every two years.
Q. The thorough examination highlighted a serious defect which has now been repaired, does the item need to be examined again?
The item should be examined during the repair and a final examination carried out on completion of the repair.
ELECTRICAL
Definitions;
System means an electrical system in which all the electrical equipment is, or may be, electrically connected to a common source of electrical energy and includes such source and such equipment.
Danger means risk of ‘injury’ which in turn means death or personal injury from any part of the ‘electrical system’.
Relevant Legislation
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 contain a comprehensive list of legal requirements designed to prevent the risk of death or personal injury from the use of electricity at all places of work, regardless of size or number of employees.
The regulations require all systems to be maintained so as to prevent danger. Furthermore HSE guidance states that regular inspection and testing is an essential part of any maintenance programme. Regulation 6 of PUWER also requires that work equipment, which may be subject to deterioration liable to result in a dangerous situation, requires inspection at suitable intervals.
The current version of BS7671 ‘Requirements for Electrical Installations’ (the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) Wiring Regulations) is the accepted general guidance for the design and maintenance of electrical installations.
Examination Frequency
The examination frequency is dependent upon the type of business and the risks presented but is typically once every three or five years. Some trades may require annual examination for licence
purposes (for example, places of entertainment, petrol stations, and nursing homes).
The main purpose of our examination is to identify serious defects likely to create an imminent risk of injury to any person.
Wiring Circuits
It is hard to imagine any location that
does not incorporate an electrical wiring installation of some form. Even a storage warehouse will have some basic electrical power requirements such as lighting, heating and a security system. Larger locations will have a complex distribution network required to deliver the demands of electrically driven plant and equipment.
Motors
Motors can be found in most
domestic and industrial locations and have a massive scope of physical size and power.
Air Handling Plant
Air handling plant is used extensively in domestic and industrial installations to control the flow of temperature controlled air throughout a location. Sizes can range from small units, hidden within an office’s false ceiling, to very large units in plant rooms or rooftops.
Transformers