High Pressure Cylinder Storage & Use

Many of us work in laboratories every day. The workplace becomes common and the accessories within the lab blend into a blur over time, of glassware, hoses, gauges, gas cylinders, analytical equipment, lab coats and on and on.

This is the very moment we all need to be aware of. This is where you are entering the “gotcha” moment. Everything has become so commonplace that when we enter the lab we barely see anything except where our work station is and so we attend to the tasks at hand.

Have you given any thought to any of the following questions concerning the gas cylinder present in your lab?

• Is the gas hazardous?
• What are the hazards associated with the gas?
• Is the tank secured properly with an approved restraint device?
• Is the tank in proximity to a heat source?
• Is there an electric plug directly behind the cylinder?
• Is there appropriate signage indicating the cylinder contents?
• Is there a Full/Empty/In Use tag on the cylinder valve?
• Has the cylinder and regulator been leak tested?
• Is the gas being delivered to the application in the safest possible way?
• If the gas is flammable is there a flashback arrestor in use?

This list of questions can go on but to ensure the brevity of this writing we will leave it for now. We want all of the questions above answered and satisfied when working with high pressure gas cylinders as the hazards related to their misuse can be catastrophic.

Have you looked at the area where the gas cylinders or cryogenic gases are stored within your building?

• Does the signage in the area clearly indicate which cylinders are full and which are empty? This is something the Fire Department would like to know in case there is a fire in the building.
• Are the cylinders properly restrained? A single rope or chain will not hold the weight of many cylinders. Cylinder racks are recommended.
• Is there adequate ventilation in the area?
• Is the area of storage designed to protect the cylinders from extreme heat or cold?
• Are the cylinders is a place where they may become part of an electric circuit?
• Are all cylinders wearing their protective caps?
• Are Flammable gases separated from Oxidizers?
• Are medical grade gases separated from non-medical grade gases?
• Is personal protection equipment in proximity for handling cryogenic gases?

All of these questions are important and accidents can be prevented by answering them truthfully. Ignore these issues and you are working on borrowed time. Accidents with compressed or cryogenic gases are unforgiving at best. There are many more issues at hand than the short lists above, so please play it safe and call Middlesex Gases & Technologies Inc. for a Lab Safety / Purity Audit. I guarantee you a safer workplace as a result. We will address all of the safety issues related to the gases you have on site and supply a written report of our findings. Please contact us today. Everyone deserves a safe workplace.

For more information on any of our services or products, contact Ron Perry, Sales & Marketing Director.