Legalising a Compressed-Air Installation in Catalonia: Projects, Documents and RITSIC

Legalising a compressed-air installation in Catalonia requires more than checking the compressor’s electrical power. You must identify the connected pressure equipment, record its maximum service pressure and volume, classify the installation, and prepare either a technical report or a project. Class 1 installations are documented through a technical report, while class 2 installations require a project and final installation certificate. The responsible declaration must be submitted before the installation is put into service.

This assessment should take place before buying, moving, replacing or operating machinery. It is equally important when acquiring or renting premises in Barcelona that already contain compressors or air receivers. Missing certificates, illegible data plates or undocumented additions can make the installation’s regulatory status unclear. General numerical thresholds provide initial guidance, but they do not replace a review of the Pressure Equipment Regulation, its exclusions and the applicable technical instructions.

Which compressed-air equipment must be checked?

Subject to its conditions and exclusions, the Pressure Equipment Regulation applies to equipment with a maximum allowable pressure above 0.5 bar. A compressed-air assessment should not be limited to the compressor unit. Air receivers, dryers, separators, filters, safety accessories and other connected vessels may also be relevant. Pipework forms part of the configuration to be assessed, although it should not simply be treated as a vessel when calculating the installation class. [6] [7]

Begin with an equipment-by-equipment inventory. Record the manufacturer, model, serial number, year, function, location, maximum allowable pressure (PS), maximum service pressure (Pms), volume in litres and fluid. Locate the data plate, instructions, declaration of conformity and information for each safety valve. PS and Pms are different concepts and should be taken from reliable equipment documentation rather than estimated.

For used or older equipment, the required evidence can vary according to age, origin, characteristics and CE marking status. Do not assume that every second-hand receiver or compressor can be regularised. Before purchase or operation, compare its identification with its original documents and inspection history, and assess whether it is compatible with the receiving installation. [5]

• Photograph every data plate without removing or altering equipment.
• Match each certificate to the relevant serial number.
• Identify all permanently connected vessels and accessories.
• Record known repairs, modifications and previous relocations.
• Check that safety valves and other protective devices are identifiable.

Class 1 or class 2: technical report versus project

Classification determines the technical documents required for commissioning. In Catalonia, a class 1 installation is associated with a technical report, commonly called a memoria técnica. A class 2 installation requires a project prepared by a suitably qualified technical professional and a certificate covering the direction and completion of the installation. Compressor motor power alone does not establish the class. [6]

As a general rule, a project is required where the sum of Pms in bar multiplied by volume in litres for permanently connected equipment exceeds 25,000. For installations capable of producing pressure increases through flame, heat input involving a risk of overheating, or exothermic reactions, the general threshold is 10,000. Regulatory exclusions and any specific ITC technical instruction must still be checked before reaching a conclusion. [6] [7]

Calculate Pms × V for each applicable item and then add the relevant results. The arithmetic is only one part of the assessment: the fluid, permanent connections, purpose of the assembly and specific regulatory provisions also matter. Where a project is necessary, its minimum content includes the activity and intended use, equipment identification, regulatory justification, safety study, emergency instructions, budget and drawings. [7]

• Class 1: technical report and the applicable installation certificates.
• Class 2: technical project and final installation certificate.
• Do not apply the 25,000 threshold without checking the 10,000 scenario.
• Review regulatory exclusions and the relevant ITC instructions.

Who is responsible and which documents are needed?

Commissioning must be carried out under the responsibility of a single pressure-equipment installation company registered in the RASIC for the appropriate scope. RASIC is Catalonia’s Register of Industrial Safety Agents and concerns authorised industry participants. RITSIC is the Register of Technical Industrial Safety Installations and concerns the installation itself. Checking a company’s RASIC status is therefore not the same as registering the compressed-air installation in RITSIC. [6]

The manufacturer or supplier should provide the applicable identification, characteristics, instructions and declaration of conformity. The installation company produces the installation documentation, including the EP-2 certificate for each pressure equipment item where required. For class 2 installations, the technical professional also provides the project and EP-3 direction and final installation certificate. An approved inspection body issues records for the regulatory inspections within its remit. [2] [5]

The operator should retain the applicable file throughout the installation’s service life. Depending on the equipment, it may include the project or technical report, EP-2 certificates, the class 2 final certificate, declarations of conformity, inspection reports, registration evidence and the user logbook. Requirements can differ for older, used or imported equipment, so current EP forms and official guidance should always be checked on Canal Empresa. [2] [5]

• Manufacturer or supplier: identification, instructions and conformity documents.
• Installation company: installation work and applicable EP-2 certificates.
• Technical professional: project and final certificate where required.
• Inspection body: reports for inspections within its authorised remit.
• Operator: responsible declaration, registration evidence and technical archive.

RITSIC registration, administrative cost and timing

Once the installation has been completed and certified, the operator—or a legal representative or authorised agent—must submit the responsible declaration before commissioning. The Generalitat procedure also covers modifications, removal of individual equipment, changes of operator and complete decommissioning. On completion, the applicant receives evidence of RITSIC registration with an EPI installation code. Both the evidence and the technical file must be retained. [8]

The official procedure consulted for the researched brief displayed an administrative commissioning fee of €34.85. This amount is subject to change and is not the total cost of legalisation. Other components can include the technical report or project, installation work, tests, certificates, an inspection body’s involvement where applicable, and any corrective work. Confirm the current fee and procedure directly with Tràmits Gencat before filing. [8]

The official sources do not provide one completion period that applies to every installation. Timing depends on whether the inventory and documents are complete, the installation class, equipment condition and any remedial work. The firm procedural requirement is that the responsible declaration must be submitted before commissioning; an installation should not be operated merely because its paperwork is being prepared. [8]

• Complete the inventory and regulatory classification.
• Prepare the technical report or project for the relevant class.
• Finish the installation and obtain the required certificates.
• Submit the responsible declaration before operation.
• Retain the RITSIC evidence, EPI code and complete technical file.

Inspections, later modifications and existing premises

Registration does not end the operator’s obligations. The applicable user logbook or equipment register must be kept up to date with inspections, maintenance, modifications and repairs. Regulatory inspections are organised into levels A, B and C, but their frequency and the agent permitted to perform them depend on factors including equipment category, fluid, age and the relevant ITC. A generic inspection timetable should not be used without first classifying each item correctly. [7]

Adding an air receiver, replacing equipment with a unit of different characteristics, extending the installation, increasing working pressure, changing to a higher-risk fluid or altering certain safety components may count as a modification requiring documentation and notification. Reassess the installation class and identify the necessary technical documents, EP certificates, inspections and RITSIC updates before carrying out the change. [6]

When buying or renting industrial premises in Barcelona or the surrounding area, request the RITSIC number, equipment list, project or technical report, EP-2 certificates, EP-3 where applicable, conformity declarations, inspection records and user logbook. Serial numbers on the installed equipment should match the certificates. A change of operator does not, by itself, regularise previous replacements or extensions that were never added to the file. [5] [8]

• Compare physical equipment, data plates and certificate serial numbers.
• Check the dates and outcomes of previous inspections.
• Look for receivers or compressors added after initial registration.
• Confirm that maintenance and modifications appear in the user register.
• Treat changes of operator, modifications and removals as distinct procedures.

Frequently asked questions

Does every air compressor in Catalonia require a technical project?

No. First establish whether the equipment falls within the Regulation and then classify the complete installation. Class 1 generally requires a technical report, while class 2 requires a project and final certificate. The applicable Pms × V calculation, exclusions, configuration and ITC instructions determine the result.

What is an EP-2 certificate?

EP-2 is the installation certificate for a pressure equipment item. Where applicable, it should identify the corresponding equipment and remain in the technical file. It is different from EP-3, which covers the direction and completion of an installation requiring a project, and from periodic inspection certificates.

What should I do if premises contain a compressor but no documents?

Do not assume that the installation is registered or safe to operate. Inventory the equipment, photograph its plates, search for the RITSIC and EPI details, and request the file from the previous operator, owner, installer or maintenance provider. The available documents, inspection history and regulatory feasibility should then be assessed before using or modifying the system.