Is Air Compressor a Special Equipment?

Is air compressor a special equipment?

According to the law of the People’s Republic of China on special equipment safety and the latest catalogue of special equipment issued by the General Administration of market supervision (revised in 2023), the air compressor itselfnot special equipment, but its supporting gas tank (pressure vessel) may be included in the scope of supervision.

Key judgment basis: TSG 22-2019 and Pressure Vessel identification

according to the safety technical supervision regulations for fixed pressure vessels (TSG 22-2019), whether special equipment is formed shall meet three conditions at the same time:working pressure ≥ 0.1 MPa,volume ≥ 25 L,medium is gas or liquefied gas. Only when the gas tank in air-compression system meets the above parameters can it be recognized as a special equipment. It must be registered for use, regularly inspected and supervised by the General Administration of market supervision.

Key points of air compressor supervision

• air compressor main engine does not belong to special equipment, and there is no mandatory registration or inspection requirements;
• if the supporting gas tank complies with TSG 22-2019, it belongs to Class II or Class III Pressure Vessels;
• the user unit shall implement the main responsibility of safety, establish a ledger, carry out self-inspection and cooperate with supervision and inspection.

Gas tank (example: 0.8MPa, 50L)

Therefore, the essence of “air compressor supervision” is the supervision of its attached pressure vessels, not the whole machine. Enterprises should check the parameters of the gas storage tank according to the catalogue of special equipment and TSG 22-2019 to avoid compliance risks caused by misjudgment.