Compressed Air: Standards and Safety

-- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 3/1/2001

Compressed-air receivers with an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) rating have a 1/4-inch NPT (national standard pipe tapered) tap for a pressure gauge and a bottom outlet for drainage. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Regulation 29 CFR, 1910.169, "Air Receivers," requires that "every air receiver be equipped with an indicating pressure gauge (so located as to be visible)."

OSHA also requires that "a drain pipe and valve shall be installed at the lowest point of every air receiver to provide for the removal of accumulated oil and water." These elements are a necessary part of a compressed-air system and are a required by federal regulation. The design professional should reference the OSHA regulation in the specifications.

The Instrument Society of America (ISA) can be accessed on the Web atwww.isa.org. The American National Standards Institute is atwww.ansi.org.