Gas Cylinder Management Best Practices 

Laboratory personnel may occasionally be required to handle compressed gas cylinders. Employees that perform work involving compressed gas cylinders should be familiar with their hazards and safe practices. In addition, if gas cylinders are to be disposed of and they have contents or are pressurized (usually both), then they are hazardous waste and need to be managed as such.

Even when not required by environmental or OSHA regulations, the following best practices are recommended.

1. All gas cylinders must be clearly labeled.
2. Do not accept a compressed gas cylinder for use that does not legibly identify its contents by name.
3. Never rely on the color of the cylinder for identification.
4. Gas lines leading from a compressed gas supply must be labeled to identify the gas, the laboratory or area served, and the relevant emergency telephone numbers.
5. Signs must be posted in areas where flammable compressed gases are stored, identifying the substances and appropriate precautions (e.g., HYDROGEN - FLAMMABLE GAS - NO SMOKING - NO OPEN FLAMES).

1. Keep hazardous gas cylinders in gas cylinder cabinets or racks, with the exception of cylinders containing a non-toxic, flammable gas, and cylinders used in fume hood applications.
2. Place a smoke detector adjacent to flammable gas cylinders, connected if possible to the building alarm system. If possible, interlock smoke detector activation with the shutdown of hazardous gas flow.
3. Connect all ducts used to exhaust hazardous compressed gas cylinders or gas-carrying components to a ventilation alarm.
4. Place a safety shower or eyewash with a wand in areas where corrosive gases are used or stored.
5. Make sure that all gas piping is compatible with the gases used and capable of withstanding full cylinder pressure.
6. Never lubricate, modify, force, or tamper with a cylinder valve. Use the appropriate regulator on each gas cylinder.
7. Use check valves when there is the possibility of back flow into the cylinder.

1. Always use safety glasses with side shields when handling and using compressed gases, especially when connecting and disconnecting compressed gas regulators and lines.
2. Never use a cylinder that cannot be identified positively.
3. Never use a cylinder of compressed gas without a pressure-reducing regulator attached to the cylinder valve.
4. Use regulators and pressure gauges only with gases and pressure ratings for which they are designed and intended.
5. Do not use oil or grease as a lubricant on valves or attachments to oxygen cylinders.
6. Never use oxygen as a substitute for compressed air.
7. Never empty a cylinder to a pressure lower than 172 kPa (25 psi). The residual contents may become contaminated if the valve is left open.
8. Test cylinders with toxic, corrosive, and pyrophoric gases for possible leaks when receiving, installing, disconnecting or shipping. Always close the cylinder valve before attempting to stop leaks between the cylinder and regulator.
9. Damaged or leaking cylinders should be removed from service and tagged as "DAMAGED or DEFECTIVE."

1. Keep cylinders in storage upright, secure, and locked into a compact group.
2. Cylinders containing the same gas shall be stored in a segregated group; empty cylinders shall be stored in the same manner.
3. Properly secure cylinders with chain, rope or brackets to prevent falling. Valve protection caps must be fully screwed on.
4. Protect cylinders stored outside from standing water by providing proper drainage. Where outdoor storage is necessary, an overhead cover is required to avoid overheating in sunlight and rain damage.
5. For short-term experiments using hazardous gases, select the smallest cylinder available.
6. Return corrosive gas cylinders to the gas supplier within one year, to avoid regulator and cylinder valve problems due to corrosion.
7. Some small cylinders, such as lecture bottles and cylinders of highly toxic gases, are not fitted with rupture devices and may explode if exposed to high temperatures.
8. Never place cylinders where they may become part of an electric circuit.
9. Avoid areas that are damp or subject to other corrosive materials.
10. Do not store flammables, toxic gases and oxidizers adjacent to each other. Store cylinders in well-ventilated locations.
11. Areas containing hazardous gas in storage must be appropriately placarded.
12. Cylinders in storage must be separated from flammable or combustible liquids and from easily ignitable materials (such as wood, paper, packaging materials, oil, and grease) by at least 12 m (40 ft) or by fire resistive partition having at least a one hour rating.
13. Empty cylinders must be closed and the valve cap secured. They must be clearly tagged or marked as "EMPTY."

1. Never move a cylinder with a regulator attached.
2. Cylinders larger than lecture bottle size should be chained or strapped to a wheeled cart during transport to ensure stability.
3. Only trained personnel using approved trucks may transport cylinders.
4. To protect the valve during transportation, the cover cap should be screwed on hand tight and remain on until the cylinder is in place and ready for use.
5. Handle only one cylinder at a time.
6. Secure cylinders in a basket or similar device when moving them using a crane or derrick. Do not use slings, ropes, or electromagnets for lifting cylinders. Do not allow cylinders to strike each other.

1. Do not use copper piping for acetylene.
2. Do not use plastic piping in any portion of a high-pressure system.
3. Do not use cast iron pipe for chlorine.
4. Do not conceal distribution lines where a high concentration of a leaking hazardous gas can build up and cause an accident.
5. Distribution lines and their outlets must be clearly labeled as to the type of gas contained.
6. Piping systems should be inspected for leaks on a regular basis, preferably weekly. Special attention should be given to findings.

1. Do not remove leaking cylinders from their ventilated enclosures until the leakage has stopped.
2. Trip the remote emergency gas shutoff valve/button, if present.
3. Close the main cylinder valve if a leak is stopped or slow, hazardous gases are contained in their enclosure, and it is clearly safe to approach.
4. Do not extinguish a flame involving a combustible gas until the source of gas has been shut off.

More detailed training information is provided in the regulatory requirements sections of the virtual tour. Employees that handle or use compressed gases should have the following training:

1. Safe handling practices for hazardous substances contained in gas cylinders: corrosive, explosive, toxic, etc.
2. Identification and signs.
3. Storage and transportation requirements.
4. Emergency procedures.