Stop button for a compressor, remote.

[Mr Mike]

Morning guys.
May I have some guidance please.
Basically the client has a motor vehicle workshop, which has students and teachers inside.
On the car park there is a small compressor house with a three phase compressor in it. The back wall of the compressor house is the wall of the workshop (in other words they back on to each other).
The teacher needs to leave the workshop go onto the carpark and into the compressor house to turn it on. But, they forget to go back out to switch it off at the end of the day. So they have requested a switch inside the work shop so the compressor can be turned off without going outside. However, I think they will then ask for an on switch aswell to save the walk.

Inside the compressor house is the three phase switch isolator , so a service engineer can isolate locally. I need to know if the off switch/on off switch would contravene any regs if fitted. Concerns regarding an engineer servicing the compressor with isolator on and then the potential for someone to press the on switch in the workshop. Sorry for the long winded post, any direction much welcomed.
Regards Mike.

 

[telectrix]

i would suggest that a stop button could be fitted in the workshop, but would not advise any form of remote start button. somebody could start the compressor with another bod's hands in it.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I believe that if the compressor has local isolation, then remote starting is allowed.

 

[telectrix]

i wouldn't like to see it. imagine a non-trained person seeing the drive belt had come off. he probably would not think of isolating the machine before refitting the belt. was a thread a week or so ago, where netblindpaul made a useful post or 2.

 

[Des 56]

I will stand on the fence as far as whats regs and what's prudent

But an example of remote switching is the common or garden overhead crane

 

[Deleted member 26818]

EAWR wouldn't allow for that sort of thing Tel.
Used to work in a Factory, where they had 3 vacuum pumps up on a roof.
Many's the time I jumped out of my skin when one would start up as I was changing anothers oil.

 

[Mr Mike]

Thank you for your kind responses to date.

 

[Darkwood]

Cant see a problem with remote start/stop if compressor has isolation point as long as a warning notice can be clearly seen regarding the issue and anyone working on the compressor would be stupid not to isolate it anyway as it has auto/pressure controlled start-up so in a sense it can start without warning anyway.

 

[davie spark]

Pardon me for asking, but why is it necessary to switch the compressor off at the end of the day? If the air is not being used until the start of the next day the compressor (if running at the end of the day) will only run until the tank is at full pressure which would make it ready for use right away on the next day. I would suggest a change of policy of use for the client.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Not sure about that Davie, Unless the compressor is 24/7 duty I would not leave it on out of duty.

Most compressors will cycle as the installation will never be 100% air tight, you will always get minute leaks on O rings, joints etc and if the place is in a residential area suppose you might get a few peeved residents when it kicks in at 2am.