SECTION V:       SAFE WORK PRACTICES

                                     (Understand the Hazards of Your Work Environment)

Information presented is not intended to be comprehensive or all inclusive; contact your supervisor, safety officer, or the Environmental Health and Safety Office, 475-7041, for assistance or further information on any given topic.

 

COMPRESSED GAS SAFETY

 

(Information furnished courtesy of Matheson Gas Products, Inc., Secaucus, New Jersey 07094)

 

1.     Be sure cylinder contents are properly identified.  Do not accept cylinders that do not identify contents by name.  Do not rely on color codes of identification.  Do not destroy or remove tags or labels.

 

2.     Be sure cylinder valves are protected.  Leave protective caps in place until ready to use gas.

 

3.     Store properly, preferably in a fire resistant, dry, well-ventilated area, away from sources of ignition or heat.  Outside storage areas should have proper drainage and be protected from direct rays of the sun.

 

4.     Stabilize cylinders, securing them by chaining or other means to prevent accidental tips and falls.

 

5.     Transport correctly, by means of  a suitable hand truck.  Do not roll a cylinder.

 

6.     Do not drop cylinders or permit them to strike each other violently.

 

7.     Return cylinders in the condition received; close valve, replace cylinder valve protective cap, and dust caps; mark or label cylinder “Empty”.

 

8.     Store empty cylinders separately from full cylinders (connecting an empty cylinder to a pressurized system by mistake could cause contamination or violent reaction within the cylinder).

 

9.     Use proper discharge controls (automatic pressure regulators to reduce cylinder pressure to safe value).  Do not use cylinder valve to dispense gas.

 

10.  Do not force connection fittings; make sure connections to cylinders match the valve outlet; do not interchange various controls on different gases.

 

11.  Keep cylinders away from heat; never subject to temperatures above 125 degrees F.

 

12.  Prevent contamination, using trap, check valve, or vacuum break to prevent suck-back of foreign material into cylinder.  (Notify supplier if foreign material has entered a cylinder.)