Copied, without permission, and without comment, from
"Letters" [to the Editor], Fine Woodworking, June, 2002.
-----
Inspect your compressor - Reading thought your recent
"Tools & Shops" issue prompts me to write about a safety
issue I don't see addressed often: the placement of air
compressors inside the shop. A number of years ago, I had
the experience of having an air-compressor tank explode
inside my two-car garage workshop. The explosion blew
the double garage doors into the driveway and sprayed
shattered glass into the street. The drywall inside the shop
was collapsed between the studs, and the stucco outer
wall had large cracks and a prominent bulge. If I had been
in the shop when it happened, I would surely have been
killed or seriously injured.
When the fire department came to investigate the accident
they told me that the tank had corroded from the inside,
thus becoming weak along a welded seam. In my area,
commercial shops are required to locate their air compressors
outside the building to prevent injuries in the event of
such a failure. While I would admit that the odds
against such an accident in a small shop are pretty high,
the potential adverse consequences make it worth
considering locating the compressor outdoors.
The fire department investigators also suggested I
replace my compressor with one that had an ASME
certified tank. All tanks for commercial shops must be
ASME certified, which sets certain standards for
materials and workmanship.
Carter Pease, San Diego, Calif.
-----
Arvid
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/shop-talk
|