Compressor Safety

I'd maybe only wear hearing protection until you're sure you've got the hang of things.

Most compressors are noisy. And if you burst a fill line it'll be louder than a typical gunshot.

I dunno what the inside diameter is on the microbore hose but I wouldnt want to get smacked with one. The 1/4" i.d. hoses at 10k psi whip around enough to break watermelons.
 
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I dunno what the inside diameter is on the microbore hose but I wouldnt want to get smacked with one. The 1/4" i.d. hoses at 10k psi whip around enough to break watermelons.

I've never seen a failure like that. The hose bursts I've seen involved the hose staying connected at both ends. The hose expands in a bulb shape, usually near one of the connectors, cracks develop and the air is let out in a bang. So there was no whipping motion.

I imagine one of the easiest ways for a noob to have a hose failure is if the hose has one-way valves and you don't have all the correct pressure-relief valves for the situation. Or if the hose is reversible with one-way valves, etc.
 
Tether your fill lines..
If you don't it can get a little *exciting* if the crimp is not quite up to handling the pressure.

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Air is not like high pressure steam or water. It can do damage but will dissipate very rapidly if there is a rapid decompression. If you don't mess up I think you have very little to worry about. I agree hearing protection is not a bad idea on a Yong Heng but I wouldn't wear it for a GX compressor. They are under 80 db so I don't think anybody says hearing protection is necessary. Eye protection is a good idea for nearly any activity and a release of air can blow things into your eye so eye protection around high pressure air makes sense. My normal glasses are safety lenses and that is all I wear.

Common mistakes are things like starting the compressor with the bleed valve closed. It might break the compressor (probably won't) but won't hurt you. Or failing to bleed off pressure before you start disconnecting things. That is a little difficult to do because of the air pressure but if you persist I can testify that it is possible to do. Depends on how much air you are releasing but I've done it without any injury. But it is still not a good thing to do. Gloves would provide some protection but it's better just to develop good habits and pay attention to what you are doing. If you bleed the air out the connections come apart very easily. If they don't, it's time to rethink what you are doing.

Another very dangerous thing to do would be to fill an air storage device to a high pressure without understanding what it is rated to contain. Or filling a container you think might be damaged. But filling containers within their fill limit when they are in good shape just is not a high risk worthy of protective gear in my opinion. If I was worried about the condition of an air storage device I would fill it to a lower pressure and/or inspect it.
 
Large compressors are probably as dangerous as an internal combustion engine.
If you're talking the small 12v compressors, there's just not enough air volume in them to do much more than burst a hose or crack the block etc. I would really be surprised if they would throw any dangerous amount of schrapnel, probably only in a freak accident. You're probably in more danger mowing your lawn.
FWIW, I agree that mowing the lawn is probably more dangerous, but a member of another group had a whip hose burst from one end fitting, whip over and remove some meat from his arm. I can't find the photos but will keep looking. Tethering seems like a very good precaution.