apparatus 40 for canceling the control signal s sg a generated control signal s sg on the one hand and a start signal s st on the other hand are supplied to this apparatus 40 upon generating the control signal s sg the start signal s st is simultaneously activated and is used to start a time window after the time window has elapsed the control signal s sgz present at the output is zero canceling the control signal s sg makes it possible to detect whether the conditions which led to the fault are still present the point in time at which this canceling takes place can be advantageously adapted on the basis of the frequency with which the event occurs therefore a so called frequency signal h sg is supplied to the apparatus 40 that is to say each time the event occurs again the point in time at which the control signal s sg is canceled is shifted to a later point in time as already mentioned the surge limit sg is dependent on the gas density g d and on the temperature t of the gas g to be compressed this may result in the stored torque characteristic curve which depends on the rotational speed and acts on a torque limitation of the driving power converter coinciding with the surge limit sg or in the surge limit sg having moved in such a manner that the stored torque characteristic curve that depends on the rotational speed is in the impermissible region.