There is no "compressor" row
Annex-III of the work equipment regulation lists 81 equipment types across six tables, and not one of them is called "compressor". That does not mean a compressor goes uninspected; two separate provisions take over.
1. The air receiver: Table-1
The genuinely hazardous part of a compressor is its air receiver, and that does have a row of its own in Table-1.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Periodic inspection period | One year where the standards set no period |
| Inspection criteria | TS 1203 EN 286-1, TS EN 13445-5, TS EN 764-7 |
| Table | Table-1: pressure vessels and installations |
2. The machine itself: general provision 1.4
Where neither the tables nor the standards set an interval and criteria for a piece of work equipment, the order is:
- The interval and criteria prescribed by the manufacturer apply, if any.
- If the manufacturer has set nothing, the interval is determined by a risk assessment that takes into account factors such as workplace ambient conditions, frequency of use and duration of use.
- Where the standards set no period, the frequency determined may not exceed the maximum periods in the regulation's tables.
In practice this means the compressor unit follows the interval in the manufacturer's manual while the air receiver is inspected yearly. The "inspection method" section of the report states which was used: the number and name of the relevant standard, failing that the method recommended by the manufacturer, and failing that a statement that the decision came from a risk assessment.
Other vessels on the same line
A compressor line rarely has a single vessel. Closed expansion tanks, calorifiers and accumulation tanks, and steam cooking vessels are also in Table-1, and where the standards set no period all of them run on one year. Equipment manufactured to perform more than one job is inspected separately for each job it performs.
The inspection covers the safety valve too
The standards listed in the criteria column are given as examples; standards that are not listed there, or that were published after the regulation, are also taken into account according to the year of manufacture. As a rule the inspection follows the standard in force in the year of manufacture; if the equipment can be brought into line with a later standard, that newer standard is considered as well. The authorised person issues the report, and it is kept for as long as the equipment is in use.
For all thirteen rows of Table-1: periodic inspection period table.