Compressed air systems and OSHA?

[Caman]

I'm the sole building maintenance tech for a newly built 200k sq foot digital printing facility. I have been trying to figure out what the laws are in regards to compressed air in a manufacturing facility. Unfortunately the only information I can find is about safety air nozzles and compressed gas cylinders, nothing about what is needed for piped systems to be considered "OSHA safe". And before anyone says check out their website or call them, I have tried to read the actual laws posted there but they are so dry and filled with lawyer speak my brain shuts off a couple lines in, and honestly haven't seen anything that could relate anyway. And my boss doesn't want me to call OSHA just so we can stay off their radar. And our "Safety Manager" doesn't seem to know anything about it or want to figure it out either.

Does anyone know or have experience with what is needed? What OSHA Inspectors knock you on? Required location of ballvalves, pressure regulators, etc?

Know of any documents in laymans terms that may be of use?

I have twin Ingersoll Rand 100hp screw compressors, two IR air dryers, two 800 gallon ballast tanks, and a figure 8 shaped and zoned Parker Transair (63mm) with branch lines coming from that(63mm, 40mm, and 25mm) and ballvalves scattered throughout. All hanging in the roof trusses 30ft above, with 40mm and 25mm solid and 1/2" ID rubber drops to the machines.

Thanks

 

[03protege]

I'm the sole building maintenance tech for a newly built 200k sq foot digital printing facility. I have been trying to figure out what the laws are in regards to compressed air in a manufacturing facility. Unfortunately the only information I can find is about safety air nozzles and compressed gas cylinders, nothing about what is needed for piped systems to be considered "OSHA safe". And before anyone says check out their website or call them, I have tried to read the actual laws posted there but they are so dry and filled with lawyer speak my brain shuts off a couple lines in, and honestly haven't seen anything that could relate anyway. And my boss doesn't want me to call OSHA just so we can stay off their radar. And our "Safety Manager" doesn't seem to know anything about it or want to figure it out either.

Does anyone know or have experience with what is needed? What OSHA Inspectors knock you on? Required location of ballvalves, pressure regulators, etc?

Know of any documents in laymans terms that may be of use?

I have twin Ingersoll Rand 100hp screw compressors, two IR air dryers, two 800 gallon ballast tanks, and a figure 8 shaped and zoned Parker Transair (63mm) with branch lines coming from that(63mm, 40mm, and 25mm) and ballvalves scattered throughout. All hanging in the roof trusses 30ft above, with 40mm and 25mm solid and 1/2" ID rubber drops to the machines.

Thanks

I am about to get my BS in Occupational Safety, and have only been in the field a little over a year, so I'm far from a seasoned vet.....(AKA take this with a pinch of salt)

The OSHA standard pertaining to this is 1910.169

This is pretty basic stuff, all controls, drains, valves need be readily accessible and so on.

1910.169(a)(2)(ii)

All safety valves used shall be constructed, installed, and maintained in accordance with the A.S.M.E. Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII Edition 1968.

I am sure any PSV you buy for this purpose will meet this standard but double check the paperwork.

If it was me doing this for the company I work for I would make sure to follow ASME, ISO, or some other well regarded standards institute.

Use only quality components intended for the job.

and to really CYA you can get a PE to look over everything and sign off on it.

It's all about layers of protection.

 

[larry_g]

I do know that in addition to OSHA there can be state laws that also govern what you do. Some states require black iron pipe and others allow copper. Just one example. So make sure you cover all your bases. I'm also thinking that NFPA also has has some jurisdiction here. If I were you I'd insist that that the company get me some training, of relieve me of the responsibility of the system. A bit of ignorance here can get some body hurt.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[ncfh]

ASME, state and local jurisdiction is where you want to look for build out. OSHA will tell you where to put the padding and baby gates.

 

[Milton Shaw]

OSHA will check noise levels on any air equipment and also for instances where workers could get their hands close to air nozzles and possible inject air under skin. That is why all automotive air guns have safety OSHA tips on them. Exair is a company that sells a lot of OSHA noise level approved nozzles and equipment so you might give them a look up. Can't help you on any other stuff but noise I know is one of their biggies. Invest in a digital noise meter and check before you call them. Over 85db is where they get to really get picky ..

 

[Caman]

Does readily accessible ball valves allow the use of scissorlifts, 30ft up? The system was already installed by plumbers during construction of the building. All of the ballvalves minus the ones at the bottom of drops are in the trusses.
Do I need air regulators at the bottom each drop, even though the machines have a built in regulator?

The piping is made by Parker, it's called Transair. It is an extruded aluminum tubing with fancy shark-bite type connectors on the smaller 40 and 25mm pipe, and clamps on the 63mm pipe. It is fully certified and installed in other places in the area.

Noise levels and PPE is already monitored by safety, and air nozzles are OSHA approved.

I will check into ASME and state laws, BTW I am in MN.

Thank you

 

[ncfh]

OSHA doesn't care about your system appendages so long as they were professionally engineered and inspected, and you haven't gone and changed anything without documentation and oversight. You should be covered there.

They are really looking at the interface points between your systems and the meat popsicles. Machine/operator level interactions should have been thought through by the manufacturer and again by the engineers who specified the particular application, plant design the same. But being a new facility if there are random switchgear or a valves that are not used in the day to day operations but are readily accessible, and have potential for death/destruction/disaster, they should be "access controlled" of course. A list of trained/authorized persons maintained, and whether that's a padlock, enclosure, or a simple sign regulating that access, is up to your policy makers to decide.

How is policy written at your company? Is it left up to individuals and departments with little oversight or does everything make the rounds through management, engineering, EHS, etc?

Obvious floor no-no's should be obvious, but training, accessibility, placarding, emergency response plans, etc., and documenting all of it should be your EHS people's responsibility.

OSHA will look at your procedures and documentation more than anything in a plant setting.

If you are going to be made the policy maker, then cover your *** and get used to reading the legalese, there's far too much to cover on the forum. It's sounds like you guys are worrying about things that are outside your sphere of responsibility. But good show, most don't care.

And I believe if you invite OSHA in for a evaluation, you don't have to worry about them immediately hanging you out to dry on stuff they don't like.

Unless it's something immediately life threatening, by law they have to give you so much time to take corrective action before they can come back and actually ding you for it. That whole, "you're trying to do the right thing, so we won't punish you for it" notion. You'll have to double check, but that was how it worked that last time I had to deal with them.

 

[DekeT]

ASME, state and local jurisdiction is where you want to look for build out. OSHA will tell you where to put the padding and baby gates.

I never saw that is the specs. Can you give a link?

 

[Mherriford]

I just had an osha consultation on thursday, you can call them, they will come through and tell you what they would fine you for, they will give you a list of things to fix, but since you called them they cannot fine you for anything while they are there. All they said about my air setup was that in the state of oregon all pressure vessels over 60 gallons had to be Inspected by the boiler maker division. Other than that the inspector didn't look at anything, other than making sure all the guards were in place.

 

[jgorm]

My buildings system is copper. I know the fire marshal will bust you if there is any plastic air lines in the ceiling.