SUPPLEMENT M&E Week 2023
Are you in breach of compressed air condensate law?
Manufacturers face a £20,000 fine or even imprisonment for failing to comply with regulations relating to the disposal of compressed air condensate. Yet many companies are unaware of the regulations and their responsibilities, warns Steve Boults of compressed air and fluid power specialist Thorite
A
lmost all manufacturing processes use compressed air in their operations and condensate is a by-product of
the compression process.
It is caused when airborne contaminants such as oil, water, solid particles and micro- organisms, as well as lubricants, rust and pipescale from the equipment itself, are sucked into the system. The toxic mixture gets compressed, resulting in a concentrated mix of contaminated oil and water. Condensate is classifi ed as hazardous waste and the legislation relating to its disposal is stringent. Companies which fail to comply can face fi nes of £20,000 and, in worse case scenarios, directors can face a prison sentence.
The solution to safely disposing of condensate – an oil/water separator – is simple and relatively low cost. Yet the number of manufacturers who don’t employ one on their site is surprisingly high. We estimate that as many as 40% of manufacturing plants fail to employ an oil/ water separator, and a further 5% to 10% have one but fail to maintain it properly. This applies to SMEs as well as multinationals. The result is that toxic waste from their processes is draining to the ground and potentially making its way into waterways. With the penalties for breaching the legislation so high – and the vital need to protect the natural environment – it is essential that both company managers and operatives on the factory fl oor understand the regulations that govern condensate treatment and the steps they must take to meet them.
Safe disposal of condensate Companies must handle all condensate and associated materials, from fi lters to spillage mats, in compliance with the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005.
This is as simple as installing an oil/water separator to separate the emulsifi ed oil and waste water. Separators can cost as little as
18 May 2023 | Automation
Large or small, it’s companies’ responsibility to protect the waterways from their outputs [Photo credit: Sonya Tyler for Unsplash]
condensate water, such as gaining consent from the local sewerage service provider and provision of analysis data and records if requested.
It also states that under no circumstances
£100 and even at the larger end of the scale will only cost a few thousand pounds. They can also be retrofi tted. With relevant permissions, the waste water can then be drained to the foul sewer, while the oil collected must be removed by a registered Hazardous Waste Producer or Licensed Waste Carrier, usually on an annual basis. Smaller-scale operations can also have their waste water collected by approved service providers.
If an oil/water separator is not fi tted, this mix of pollutants is discharged into the compressor house drain and eventually makes its way into the nearest waste water system or, worse still, directly onto the compressor house fl oor where it drains to the ground outside. This activity is illegal.
The cost of failing to comply If you have a compressed air system producing condensate, you are governed by a further two key pieces of legislation:
1. Water Resources Act 1991 This states that it is an off ence to knowingly permit entry of toxic waste to surface or ground water. The penalty is a fi ne of £20,000 or more in a Crown Court.
2. Water Industry Act 1991 This sets out the administrative requirements relating to the discharge of the treated
can treated condensate water be discharged to open water such as rivers and streams, ground water or storm/rain water drains and that penalties for breaching the Act can result in fi nes of up to £20,000 and potential imprisonment for company directors. These legal ramifi cations alone should give companies pause for thought. Additionally, a compressor without an oil/ water separator is also a compressor which is very likely to be performing ineffi ciently, as the build-up of oily condensate will eventually cause damage, leading to downtime and repair costs. The solution is straightforward - so why is the number of companies failing to fi t an oil/ water separator so high? The main reason appears to be a genuine lack of awareness of the legislation, at all levels. Management are unfamiliar with the law and consider oversight of the compressor house as belonging to the engineering or maintenance teams, while operatives might have inherited legacy equipment which never had a separator fi tted and have no cause to question the status quo. Therefore, responsibility falls between two stones.
Failing to comply with the regulations
around condensate disposal presents a very real cost in terms of equipment effi ciency, potential fi nes and professional reputation, not to mention the ethical implications of polluting the local environment. Is that risk really worth the price of an oil/water separator? Visit us on Stand A81 at the
Manufacturing & Engineering Expo at the NEC on 7th & 8th June to learn more.
CONTACT:
Thorite
www.thorite.co.uk
automationmagazine.co.uk
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