Posted By Peter MacDonald In my experience the following is good practice. Ensure the compressor has been delivered with a current inspection from the hiring company and the person turning it on and off knows how to do it. This is important as the chamber in the compressor has to be de-compressed at the end of each shift or before the tools and hoses can be broken up. The main hazard potential comes from the tools that are being used and particularly the hoses and couplings that connect the compressor to the tool. Tool requirements should come from the manufacturers recommendations for safe use so ensure a copy can be sourced. Under PUWER the tools should also be tested, maintained and operated by competent persons. This is important as the connection between the tool and the hose can be suscepitable to wear and tear leading to failure. Hoses decoupling and connections giving out under pressure can be very hazardous. There are two main types I come across, MacDonald and Crowfoot) MacDonald type connections are more reliable and all connections between tools and hoses should be fitted with whip arrestors. Used correctly though and there should be no concerns. Cheers Peter