safety question-need answer quick

[Road Warrior]

I know there's a safety forum here but looking at it, the newest thread I found was back in July, and I need an answer/opinion quick.

Here's my problem - I work for the state of Illinois Dept. of Transportation. Our shop air compressor tank rusted out and started leaking a couple years ago. My boss at the time decided to take the tank to a welding shop to get it repaired. They cut out the old bottom and welded a new bottom in it, but there is no drain valve anymore. I know for a fact that the tank had an identification tag on it before it was repaired, but it was removed at the welding shop. There is NO certification tag of any kind that the tank was tested after it was repaired, and although it doesn't leak now, I have a HUGE problem being anywhere near this thing. I did some research today and found that the compressor was purchased in 1965, for approx. $335.

This is a 40 gal. (approx.) horizontal tank, the patched area is probably a piece of 1/4" mild steel, roughly 42" long, it has been formed to the radius of the original tank, but the ends were bent up to match the original "domed" ends. I wish I had pictures to show how it's been done, and I can get some by tomorrow afternoon.

My concern is this tank could explode and get somebody killed - the "powers that be" will want something in stone stating this tank needs to be certified - where do I find this info. by Thursday morning since they will all be at my place of employment??

[wintermute]

I know there's a safety forum here but looking at it, the newest thread I found was back in July, and I need an answer/opinion quick.

Here's my problem - I work for the state of Illinois Dept. of Transportation. Our shop air compressor tank rusted out and started leaking a couple years ago. My boss at the time decided to take the tank to a welding shop to get it repaired. They cut out the old bottom and welded a new bottom in it, but there is no drain valve anymore. I know for a fact that the tank had an identification tag on it before it was repaired, but it was removed at the welding shop. There is NO certification tag of any kind that the tank was tested after it was repaired, and although it doesn't leak now, I have a HUGE problem being anywhere near this thing. I did some research today and found that the compressor was purchased in 1965, for approx. $335.

This is a 40 gal. (approx.) horizontal tank, the patched area is probably a piece of 1/4" mild steel, roughly 42" long, it has been formed to the radius of the original tank, but the ends were bent up to match the original "domed" ends. I wish I had pictures to show how it's been done, and I can get some by tomorrow afternoon.

My concern is this tank could explode and get somebody killed - the "powers that be" will want something in stone stating this tank needs to be certified - where do I find this info. by Thursday morning since they will all be at my place of employment??

Here's an OSHA document with some information regarding air and compressed gas tank requirements.

http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:8QSe81H6Dl4J:www.westmont.edu/_faculty_staff/pages/physical_plant/forms/HazardPrevention/PressureVessels.pdf+OSHA+air+tanks&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us

*edit*
The best way to get the information would be to contact osha directly and they can provide all details you would need:

http://www.osha.gov/html/Feed_Back.html

*end edit*

[lars66]

Your state must have a boiler and pressure vessel division. In Minnesota the state comes around every year and checks my air compressor tank, this takes about a minute and is billed as a flat fee.

[Brett]

That really does sound disconcerting RW,
I certainly hope a a pressure relief valve is still in place .Whilst that is more important than a drain valve a drain valve is essential , they can be tapped in later but on all my compressors a threaded tube with an internal thread is factory installed. Whilst age on its own is not a limiting factor assuming proper maintenance (my 15hp was made in the '40's) you have to ask why did the receiver need repair in the first case , was it rusted through? God lets hope not.
In Australia once the receiver is over a certain size it needs to be visually inspected every 2 years and here it is not a huge expense.
Cant help you with American regs but would assume similar.

I would have concerns possibly because I'm not a boiler maker and cant make an informed assessment but that is why compliance plates exist ...because we are not all boiler makers.

My 2c

[enlpck]

See 183.56(6)

No plate, not exempted from inspection

http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/getpub.php?type=s&year=current&num=183.56

[enlpck]

Whoops... wrong state... that's minnesota, not illinois.

See 430ILCS75/4 and /5 ( http://www.state.il.us/osfm/Boilers/BoilerWebpage.pdf ), specifically 4(b) and 5(b)(8)

If the vessel is 40gal, this is a bit over 5CF, well less than 15, and therefor the vessel is exempt from regulation if operated at less than 250PSIG if not located in a place of 'public assembly', but IS subject to inspection if it IS in a place of public assembly. A shop *could* be considered a place of public assembly if the vessel isn't isolated, but it would be one heck of a stretch (see page 19 for definition)

[enlpck]

I forgot to note that the vessel in question is not exempt from construction and repair rules.

5(b) only exempts from sec10, 11, 12, and 13, which cover the need for annual inspection, fee therefore, and fines for violations of. The vessel must still be built to the standards of ASME, or meet the standard specified in the law (sec 4(b))

See also sec 120.1000 (repairs and alterations, p36) for the requirements that were to have been met when the repair was done.

[Diverbill45]

Road Warrior, ................. Having to weld on and make many types of pressure vessels, over the years, here's my take on your situation.

1. Since this tank was repaired due to a section being rusted out and the material used to replace that section is, more than likely, thicker than the original material, doesn't change the safety statius of the rest of that aged, rusted tank.

2. If the original certification tag was removed and/or a certification tag was not placed, on the tank, with an "R" stamp on it, this tank has now become unusable and highly unsafe, as a pressure vessel, in any form. :nono: OSHA would love to get notified about this. :)

3. Having no drain valve and not running the air through an air dryer, which I'm sure is the case here and the fact that most air dryers DO NOT completely eliminate 100% of ALL moisture, condensation is slowly building up in that already rusted, improperly repaired tank, with no way of removal.

This is just for openers, I could go on, but I'm sure you're getting the FULL picture.

For your own safety and all the others, that work in that shop, I'd check with ASME codes and OSHA about this highly unsafe and potentially deadly problem and have your boss read them, so there's NO question in anybody's mind.

If your boss still wants to B***H about it, which I'm sure he will because it sounds like his only concern is the department budget and not safety, just tell him that the price of a new certified tank is a lot less than the price of OSHA fines, medical bills and negligent death lawsuits that I'm sure will follow, if this BOMB decides to go off. Just remember, it's not a case of IF this tank will let go, it's WHEN will it let go.

One thing I've learned, over the years, is that some bosses aren't as smart as they think they are and don't know everything. In this case you are dealing with one of these types of people.

OH SORRY I FORGOT, DISREGARD EVERYTHING I SAID ABOVE , since most city, county, state and federal agencies seem to get by and/or work under a different set of rules and regulations, than the ones of us in the private sector and enterprises. :mad: :mad:

As always, have a safe day.

[MoonRise]

Government agency or not, OSHA rules still apply. Despite what some state employee might think.

Relevent to the specific modification and repair or the compressed air storage tank, see the start of some OSHA rules regarding such at http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9823

No drain in the tank? Violation of 29 CFR 1910.169(a)(2) (i). Which would also trigger a safety citation for violation of OSH Act of 1970, Section 5 (a) (1).

OSHA references AMSE Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code requirements as being applicable. So, were all applicable ASME code requirements met? It's not -your- task to figure it out, the certification plate and repair paperwork with the appropriate copies of material, supply, workmanship, and worker certifications should be there to verify and attest that the applicable standards were met. No certifications? Sounds like a violation to me.

And as enlpck found and posted the PDF for you, Illinois also requires adherence to ASME codes for pressure vessels. Illinois Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Act and Rules and Regulations (the PDF the enlpck so nicely found for you) also states that the pressure vessel can only be operated in accordance with its stamped rating. No certification plate with pressure rating stamped on it? Then the vessel is NOT certified for pressure usage.

[Road Warrior]

Here's the status of my problem so far. The "building/safety guy" told me yesterday that air tanks are exempt from inspections/certifications as long as they are welded by a certified welder.

I shrugged my shoulders and said "we'll see." I called OSHA but our regional office was closed so I sent an email to them first thing this morning. Hopefully they can & WILL do something. If not, I will render this POS completely useless in the next few days. Maybe I'll have a muscle spasm in my leg and drive our endloader through the building at a high rate of speed and demolish the compressor and half the shop with it. After all, "building/safety guy" says it's going to get remodeled next year anyhow.

Hhmmm, come to think of it, he told us that 4 years ago. :realmad:

At any rate, I'll let ya'll know the outcome of this mess as things progress. Thanks for the replies so far.

[enlpck]

Here's the status of my problem so far. The "building/safety guy" told me yesterday that air tanks are exempt from inspections/certifications as long as they are welded by a certified welder.


Tell him to read the law. He is wrong, unless there is documentation that the work was done in accordance with ASME and NBIC standards, and if there is no plate, it wasn't (hint: I am engineer for an 'R' stamp shop, and have been involved in reviews for several others besides mine, the last a month ago. The law in IL requires the rules be met, and the rules require the data plate, as well as a plate applied by th repair organization, as well as a complete paper trail). It applies in the public sector as well as the private.

Since you are with DOT, you have people in the department (though not necessarily in your part) that inspect these tanks and know the reg's top to bottom every day (trucks, buses, rail equipment, public transit, etc arn't much different) and will likely laugh until they pee.

I shrugged my shoulders and said "we'll see." I called OSHA but our regional office was closed so I sent an email to them first thing this morning.

Fed OSHA may not be able to help. Public employees ARE exempted from federal if the state has an equivalent program. NJ, where I am, has their own for public employees (NJ-POSHA), a do many other states. They don't always mirror 49CFR1910.

Hopefully they can & WILL do something. If not, I will render this POS completely useless in the next few days. Maybe I'll have a muscle spasm in my leg and drive our endloader through the building at a high rate of speed and demolish the compressor and half the shop with it.

Be careful about that. Now that you said something, that is premeditation, and at a minimum will lose your job, may lose accrued benefits (retirement), and could even be a felony if the value is high enough.

You do have whistleblower protection (for what it is worth) federally and in most states if you call the boiler/pressure vessel commission.