Storage and Handling Compressed Gases

Hazards Identified
Fire, explosion, projectile, asphyxiation, frostbite

Hazard-Specific Personal Protective Equipment
Eye protection, gloves

Hazard-Specific Training

Safe Work Practice

  • Storage areas should be clearly identified, dept dry and well ventilated.
  • Protect cylinders from contact with ground, ice, snow, water, salt, corrosion and high temperatures.
  • Store oxygen separately from fuel gases by at least 6 metres (20 feet) or by a 1.5 m (5ft) high with ½ hour resistant rated wall.
  • Mark and store empty cylinders away from full cylinders. Return empties to supplier as soon as possible.
  • Mark storage areas with “No Smoking” signs.
  • Do not use a cylinder that is not identified or if label is not legible. The colours of industrial gas cylinders are not standardized.
  • Never use a flame or boiling water to thaw a frozen valve.
  • Keep cylinders from becoming part of an electrical circuit.
  • Do not use a cylinder as an electrical ground connection.
  • Do not fasten cylinders to a work table or to structural members of the building where they could become part of the circuit. Isolate cylinders with suitable electrical insulation.
  • Store regulators which have been removed from cylinders away from grease and oil.
  • Put protective caps on the fittings when in storage.
  • Keep cylinders and fittings from becoming contaminated with oil, grease, or dust.
  • Do not try to refill a cylinder or mix gases in a cylinder.
  • Move cylinders with appropriate trolleys: use proper lifting cradles.

Storage and Handling Compressed Gases (continued)

  • Do not drag, slide, or drop cylinders. Cylinders can be rolled for short distance on their base.
  • Do not sling with ropes or chains and do not lift with an electromagnet.
  • Do not transport leaky cylinders.
  • Transport cylinders in a securely fastened upright position with protective cap in place (for exceptions, see Occupational Safety General Regulations, Section 49)
  • Never place cylinders on their side as rollers to move equipment.

See also – Safe Work Practice:  Storage of Flammable Materials

Regulations, Standards and References
Occupational Safety General Regulations

Goals of the FSSNS

  • Save lives and reduce injuries.
  • Reduce all costs associated with work place accidents.
  • Improve profits.
  • Maintain compliance with regulatory bodies.
  • Manage and establish ownership of industry managed loss control programs.
  • Reduce Workers' Compensation rates.
The Forestry Safety Society of Nova Scotia is registered under the Societies Act of Nova Scotia. It is a separate entity, having a Memorandum of Association and By-Laws. The Society is governed by a Board of Directors, representing all sectors of the forest industry.