Compressed Gas Cylinders Safety

Compressed Gas Cylinders

You probably couldn’t find many job areas where oxygen and acetylene cylinders are not on hand for cutting and welding.  You also couldn’t find many where these cylinders are properly stored and handled all the time.  We use these cylinders so often that it’s easy to be careless with them. 

Most accidents involving cylinders aren’t spectacular – a worker catches a hose with his foot and the unsecured cylinder falls over on his ankle, or a cylinder slips out of a choker and hits someone on the arm – just a broken bone and a few weeks off work.  BUT, every once in a while a bad accident happens – the valve is knocked off an oxygen cylinder and it takes off like a rocket, or a misused cylinder explodes and somebody is killed.

To help prevent these accidents:

  • Use a cradle or cage when hoisting cylinders with a crane
  • Be sure the valve protection caps are on before moving cylinders
  • Keep cylinders upright and secured at all times
  • Close the valve on empty cylinders, put on the cap, and mark them “MT”
  • Store oxygen cylinders apart from any fuel/fuel gas cylinders, such as Acetylene, by at least 20 feet

DON’T– Store propane cylinders inside any building

DON’’T– Use cylinders for rollers or supports

DON’T– Tamper with the valves or safety devices.