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.

 

[Knobhead]

I personally would fit a remote stop and keep the start near to the compressor. It makes someone go to the compressor house once a day while, there they can give the machine the once over (Yeh I know I’m in cloud cuckoo land). Compressors must be amongst some of the most abused bits of kit I’ve come across.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Compressors with tanks, require draining down to prevent moisture extracted from the compressed air from rusting out the tanks.
There are some systems that do this automatically, but from what I can remember many of them actually need the pressure to be released to some extent before the automatic drain will operate.
Some compressors for food proccessing and spray painting have multiple filters to ensure the delivered compressed air is uncontaminated.
Often these will also need to be drained down, to remove moisture and sometimes oil.

 

[davie spark]

Yeah, I take your point, so what really being asked for is just a remote stop button breaking the coil supply. I can't see to many problems with that but as someone else has suggested I wouldn't be so keen to install a remote start button also, for safety reasons. Having said that though if it is installed there should be warning notices erected at the compressor starter indicating that the remote device exists and that proper safe and secure isolation takes place using a lock off kit before any maintenance work is carried out, So a policy change would still be required; i.e. the lock off kit and key/s held in a secure area signed in and out responsibly.

 

[netblindpaul]

You could put a stop & start remote if you comply with the relevant requirements, you would need as a minimum a compliant e-stop adjacent to the compressor to remain, also you would need a means of emergency isolation of the electrical energy which was lockable to comply with PUWER98 adjacent to the compressor.
You will need to check that as you are modifying the controls of a machine that it remains compliant with PUWER98 & if the starter is built into the compressor, then you must review the status of the CE marking if you propose a modification as modifying a CE marked machine invalidates the existing CE marking which then means the machine will no longer comply with PUWER98 regulations.
You should really re CE the machine after the mod, not easy as you are not the maker.

There are 2 things you can do really do the job as you see best and take the risk on any issues that may arise, or walk away, I know what I do!

You should do the mod to meet the requirements of the relevant legislation and referenced standards though.

 

[Mr Mike]

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.

Hi Davie,
The client gets reports from the morning guys that those working late into the evening fail to turn the compressor off. This has come about at a time when the boss man is having a purge on saving money (gas, water and electric bills). Davie as far as I am aware it is used to pump up tyres, and when they teach them to repair a puncture.
Davie thanks for your input.

 

[Mr Mike]

You could put a stop & start remote if you comply with the relevant requirements, you would need as a minimum a compliant e-stop adjacent to the compressor to remain, also you would need a means of emergency isolation of the electrical energy which was lockable to comply with PUWER98 adjacent to the compressor.
You will need to check that as you are modifying the controls of a machine that it remains compliant with PUWER98 & if the starter is built into the compressor, then you must review the status of the CE marking if you propose a modification as modifying a CE marked machine invalidates the existing CE marking which then means the machine will no longer comply with PUWER98 regulations.
You should really re CE the machine after the mod, not easy as you are not the maker.

There are 2 things you can do really do the job as you see best and take the risk on any issues that may arise, or walk away, I know what I do!

You should do the mod to meet the requirements of the relevant legislation and referenced standards though.

Thank you for you reply. I take onboard the points you have raised. The switch isolator is situated immediately in front of the compressor controls and has the facility to be locked off. I will discuss the points you have raised in your post with the client and see where we go from there. Thanks for your kind guidance.
Regards Mike.

 

[malcoa]

agreed with netblindpaul, it is certainly do-able and the safety surrounding the issue is largely down to sufficient safe working proceedures such as "lock tag verify". i feel you can perform what is asked by the customer and its then the customers job to ensure the required safety measures are met

 

[Inteificio]

A slight left field post here, but what about fitting a timer circuit to automatically shut it down at the end of the college day?
It would be a lot less work than the remote switch.


An even easier approach would be a big neon sign at the exit of the garage saying "turn of the f""£$^"£$^ compressor".