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February 5, 2025Four (and a Half) Critical Compressed Air Safety Tips
Kaishan USA | January 29, 2025| Uncategorized
We recommend doing a safety walk-around before starting your air compressor.
Air compressors are comparatively safe. Safer, in fact, than most other sources of power. Compressed air is the preferred alternative in many applications, especially where flammable or explosive materials are present.
However, it is stored energy, and it needs to be treated with an appropriate level of caution and respect. It needs lock-out/tag-out isolation. It should be stored properly. Tools and hoses should always be inspected for wear. It’s not an exaggeration to say that you may save lives, including your own, by taking them to heart and applying them.
So, it’s always a good idea to take a step back and remind compressed air operators of four high-level tips they should always keep in mind as they perform their daily tasks using compressed air. We also include an extra half-tip at the end for good measure.
These tips apply to any brand and any type, including centrifugal, reciprocating or rotary screw air compressors.
A few seem obvious—in fact, most may be—but the record clearly shows that they have been ignored countless times, with deadly consequences. How many workers were injured when machine safety guards were removed? And how many injuries have happened when hazard stickers were ignored?
We’ll start with electricity.
Only a qualified electrician or compressor repair expert should open the control panel.
Tip No. 1. Take Electrical Hazards Seriously
According to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), 106 people were electrocuted on the job in the U.S. during the year ending July 31, 2024. So, electrical hazards should be taken seriously and they are the most serious but least understood air compressor safety issue.
A typical compressor can have as many as five different voltages inside the control panel. That’s why we say only a qualified person—an electrician or compressor repair person—should open the control panel.
Safety is Built-In
Every Kaishan compressor displays all relevant safety data on the screen of your compressor controls: pressure, temperature, voltage and any amps that are present.
So there’s no need to “pop the hood” like Grandpa did with his ’57 Chevy. More proof that we do everything we can to help you operate our equipment safely. We think we owe that to you.
To make the process easier and safer, Kaishan units display all relevant data on the screen of your compressor controls: pressure, temperature, voltage and any amps that are present.
Before attempting any repair on your compressor, you should make sure you have isolated the machine from its power source. And that includes any stored energy.
A prime example is a variable-speed drive (VSD), which uses an inverter to control the speed of the motor. The VSD stores the energy in a capacitor and releases it as needed. So, you may de-energize the unit, but it may take 10 to 15 minutes or longer to bleed off that energy. Always used your multimeter to ensure there is no power present.
Another potential hazard is rotation.
Tip No. 2. Beware of Moving and Rotating Parts
To get all that work done, your compressor has to rotate or move in some way. If it’s making air, it has moving parts.
Your compressor has hazards and safety guards in place, but operators often remove those warnings as part of regular operation and maintenance of the equipment.
Pay attention to the hazard stickers and safety guards on your machine. And don’t remove them. They're not like the stickers under your living room sofa.
So, before starting your air compressor, you should do a brief walk-around, as you would if you were operating a forklift. Ensure all the safety guards and warnings are still in place, and remind yourself of the potential hazards any piece of rotating equipment presents. Consult your manufacturer’s manual if you have any questions.
Another serious cause of injury is heat.
Tip No. 3. Remember That Every Metal Component Can Be Hot
Heat is probably the top cause of injuries with compressed air. Depending on the system, you could have temperatures as high as 400° to 500°F.
Burns can happen even with a machine that’s not operating. A compressor can still be hot and take an hour or longer to cool off after it’s been shut down. Every metal component can be hot.
Winter months add additional complications. If external components such as pipes or tools are exposed to low outside temperatures, moisture in the compressed air can freeze. Simply opening a valve can release that pressurized air, which can be loaded with ice crystals that feel like shrapnel when propelled by high-pressure air.
It’s all because of the stored energy in that air. That’s our next topic.
Top No. 4. Don’t Forget That Compressed Air Is Stored Energy Waiting To Be Released
We all too often forget that compressed air itself is stored energy. There’s tremendous pressure just waiting to be released behind every valve, pipe or fitting.
All those devices channel energy into practical work. However, that energy can be released in the wrong place and at the wrong time when people carelessly open a fitting or attempt to bypass a flow control valve, for instance, with unfortunate consequences.
Kaishan includes an internal pressure gauge on every compressor we sell so that you can determine at a glance whether there is pressure inside the machine.
Kaishan is one of the few compressor manufacturers to include an internal pressure gauge on the top of the sump tank on every compressor we sell. So that you can determine at a glance if there is pressure inside the machine. Not just on the control screen but also at the point of use.
Anyone who disassembles any of the machine’s components has a pressure gauge right in front of them. It’s another way Kaishan takes every step possible to keep you and your operators safe.
And that leads to our bonus half-point: we can often be our own worst enemies.
Tip No. 4.5 We Have Met the Enemy, and It Is Us!
First, there’s the matter of focus. You may approach a compressor, knowing that it presents electrical issues. You may confidently believe, “I got this.” And, usually, you do.
However, we all get distracted. Get too confident.
So, you carefully avoid the control panel but touch a hot surface. Or you remember to disconnect the power source but forget about the stored energy in the capacitor. Any of those oversights can be dangerous.
Second, while the voltage, motion, rotation or heat you encounter may not be fatal, your natural reaction to that shock or heat could still be deadly.
Jumping back or jerking your hand away from a hot or charged surface could cause any number of unplanned or unforeseen consequences. Such as touching a wrench to a live wire. Or jumping into a rotating hazard. The record shows it happens much too often.
Even veteran repair people can forget and get zapped. That doesn’t mean you should be afraid to operate your equipment. However, you should be careful.
Don’t Be Scared, Be Vigilant
The most important takeaway from this post is to be aware. You don’t have to be frightened or scared to operate compressed air equipment that is properly installed and well-maintained, but you should be vigilant.
And that means being alert. Checking the temperature of all surfaces first with a temperature gauge. Looking at the internal pressure gauge before you open an oil cap, a valve or a drain. And keeping the control cabinet closed unless you are a qualified electrician or repair person.
If you need help setting up an air compressor safety program and training all your operators in safe compressor operation, check with your local compressed air professional.
Local Help in Ensuring Safe Air Compressor Operations
Kaishan USA works with a nationwide network of independent distributors, who can provide on-site help and consultation as needed. These factory-trained air compression experts can help you develop a compressed air safety program and train your operators and staff to keep them safe.
Key Takeaways
- A compressor can have as many as five different voltages inside the control panel.
- Only a qualified person—an electrician or compressor repair person—should open a control panel.
- If your compressor is making air, parts of it are moving.
- Even if it’s not working, a compressor can still be hot and take an hour or longer to cool off after it shuts down.
- Every metal component can be hot.
- Kaishan is one of the few compressor manufacturers to include an internal pressure gauge on every compressor we sell.
- Because of distractions and overconfidence, we can sometimes be our own worst enemies.
Let Us Help
Operating your air compressor safely is critical to your operation and the well-being of your employees. If you need help creating an air compressor safety program for your facility, get in touch with the experts at Kaishan. Contact us today.
