I think I can announce my retirement, as I have collected a nickel every time a safety professional stated “we have no pressure vessels on-site, so there is no need for us to worry”. I am always saddened by the lack of understanding of major hazards within workplaces and the fact that so many in our profession know so little about pressure vessels and the hazards they present. I would be willing to wager, that if we just drive through our local “industrial park” and randomly picked 10 facilities we would find pressure vessels in at least 7 out of the 10. I base this on my experience and knowing how popular compressed air systems are in even the smallest and most basic of businesses. Hence, OSHA understood and issued 1910.169, Air Receivers. And from what we can see from our 2020 S&H Audits, very few businesses know of this standard or how to manage their pressure vessels. The standard is very easy to read and understand and the 5-minutes it takes to do this could prevent a huge accident. Here is your 5-minute check:
Is the vessel an ASME Vessel?
Can you find and read the data on the nameplate?
Does the vessel have an indicating pressure gauge (so located as to be readily visible)?
Does the vessel have one or more spring-loaded safety valves?
Is the SV’s set point less than the Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP) stated on the Vessel’s nameplate?
Does the total relieving capacity of the safety valves have the ability to prevent pressure in the receiver from exceeding the MAWP of the receiver by more than 10%?
Ensure there is no valve or obstruction(s) of any type shall be placed between the air receiver and its safety valve or valves.
Has the SV(s) been tested or replaced recently? 5-years?
Does the vessel have a drain pipe and valve installed at it’s lowest point?
Has the drain valve on the air receiver been opened and the receiver completely drained frequently and at such intervals as to prevent the accumulation of excessive amounts of liquid in the receiver?
When was the last “official inspection” of the vessel? 3-years? 5-years?
NOTE: a lot of these inspections are done by your insurance company
NOTE: some states require these vessels to be managed just like a chemical plant process vessel, with at a MORE FREQUENT inspection schedule (See CALOSHA’s 462, Field Inspections and Reports