Air Compressor Heat Recovery By Aircare Compressor Services Ltd

Compliance Support

Compliance and Legislation Support

As a British Compressed Air Society member, Aircare can support you with compliance and best practice in a number of ways. While we endeavour to keep this page as up-to-date as possible, legislation is constantly changing and evolving so please give us a call for our most up-to-date advice.

Condensate Management Support
In compliance with – Water Resources Act (1991)

The process of compressing air produces ‘condensate’, a mixture of water vapour and contaminants such as oil and other toxins. Condensate, if left untreated and without appropriate disposal processes in place, can enter the water system and create environmental hazards. It is the responsibility of every air compressor owner to have a condensate management process in place, to ensure it is safely and legally disposed of to avoid fines and potential imprisonment.

In some cases, simply fitting an oil water separator unit to your compressed air condensate points and following the recommended steps shown in the BCAS factsheet 301* can be sufficient. For support or to check that your condensate management plan is compliant, please contact us for support.

The Water Resource Act (1991) was put in place to protect water sources from pollution. It defines the environment agency’s role in water pollution, resource management, fisheries, navigation and flood defence. It covers discharges to surface and ground waters, estuaries and coastal waters, and controls abstracting and impounding water. Under the act, it is an offence to cause or knowingly permit any polluting material (Poisonous, noxious, etc.) material or solid waste to enter controlled water. It is illegal to dump polluted water that has not been treated. This is punishable by imprisonment, fines or both.

Written Schemes of Examination
In compliance with – Pressure System Safety Regulations (2000)

It is a legal requirement for every company with anything but a very small compressed air system to have a Written Scheme of Examination, primarily where the air pressure is greater than 0.5 bar (approximately 7 psi). This has to be reviewed regularly and must be updated if anything changes in your system

Under the Pressure System Safety Regulations 2000, users and owners of pressure systems are required to demonstrate that they know the safe operating limits of their systems, and that they are safe under those conditions. They need to ensure that a Written Scheme of Examination is in place before the system is operated, and to make sure that the system is examined in accordance with the written scheme.

Your Written Scheme of Examination should be drawn up by a competent person (as defined in the Regulations), and this is where we can help you!

Breathing Air Checks

Any application for compressed air where a person requires the provision of breathable air for the execution of a work related task requires a certain air quality by law. Aircare can offer a number of services to ensure and maintain breathing quality air, in line with BCAS Guidance sheet 304-5GB, from appropriate filtration to appropriate regular checks.

Additional Air Quality Standards

Other air quality considerations are Food Grade applications. It is not just the quality of the compressed air that needs to be assessed in your assessment, it is the added ‘ingredients’ to the compressed air, usually from the environment that cause the problem such as water vapour, oil and other debris. Compressed air, which is likely to come into contact with foodstuffs or ingredients, will require the highest level of purification. Find out more about food grade compressed air in BCAS Fact Sheet 701-4.

Current food hygiene regulations introduce the requirement that food business operators put in place, implement, and maintain procedures based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Points (HACCP)principles. The HACCP process should also include your vacuum equipment.