Safety Moment – Compressed Gases

Guest Blogger: Simon Mac Innis

We use compressed gases for a variety of tasks at our facility as well as during our day to day lives. We use compressed gases and the cylinders that store them for welding, powering forklifts and many of us use them at home for fueling a grill.

The convenience of compressed gas doesn’t come without a price though . . . we need to store, handle and use them properly or the consequences can be devastating.

Here are some tips to safely store compressed gas cylinders.

• Store cylinders with their cylinder valves in the closed position;
• Securely attach cylinder valve caps;
• Separate cylinders according to their contents. Place oxygen cylinders at least 20 feet from any flammable gas cylinders or combustible materials.
• Identify empty cylinders, and store empty cylinders separate from full cylinders;
• Secure all cylinders while in storage and in use;
• Ventilate all cylinder storage;
• Keep cylinder storage away from fire and potential electrical hazards;
• Ensure all cylinders are labeled to identify their contents.
• Return any cylinder to the supplier if the label does not identify contents;
• Store all cylinders upright;
• Avoid dropping or striking cylinders.

By adhering to these safety tips you will avoid any potential accidents caused by compressed gas cylinders.