HealthandSafety Executive

Takecarewithoxygen

Fireandexplosionhazardsintheuseofoxygen

Thisleafletprovidesinformationonthefireandexplosionhazardsintheuse ofoxygen.Itisforanyonewhousesoxygengasincylinders.

Hazardsfromoxygen
Oxygengasincylindersisusedbymanypeopleatworkandsometimesathome. Itisused: inwelding,flamecuttingandothersimilarprocesses; forhelpingpeoplewithbreathingdifficulties; inhyperbaricchambersasamedicaltreatment; indecompressionchambersforpeoplewhoworkincompressedairorin deepseadiving; forfoodpreservationandpackaging; insteelworksandchemicalplants.

Theairwebreathecontainsabout21%oxygen.Withoutoxygenwewoulddieina matterofminutes.Itmaybehardtobelieve,butoxygencanalsobedangerous. Thedangersarefireandexplosion. Oxygenbehavesdifferentlytoair,compressedair,nitrogenandotherinertgases.It isveryreactive.Pureoxygen,athighpressure,suchasfromacylinder,canreact violentlywithcommonmaterialssuchasoilandgrease.Othermaterialsmaycatch firespontaneously.Nearlyallmaterialsincludingtextiles,rubberandevenmetals willburnvigorouslyinoxygen. Evenasmallincreaseintheoxygenlevelintheairto24%cancreateadangerous situation.Itbecomeseasiertostartafire,whichwillthenburnhotterandmore fiercelythaninnormalair.Itmaybealmostimpossibletoputthefireout.Aleaking valveorhoseinapoorlyventilatedroomorconfinedspacecanquicklyincrease theoxygenconcentrationtoadangerouslevel. Themaincausesoffiresandexplosionswhenusingoxygenare:

oxygenenrichmentfromleakingequipment; useofmaterialsnotcompatiblewithoxygen; useofoxygeninequipmentnotdesignedforoxygenservice; incorrectorcarelessoperationofoxygenequipment.

Riskassessment
Employersarelegallyrequiredtoassesstherisksintheworkplace,andtakeall reasonablypracticableprecautionstoensurethesafetyofworkersandmembers ofthepublic.Acarefulexaminationoftherisksfromusingoxygenshouldbe includedintheriskassessment.
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Bewareofoxygenenrichment
Oxygenenrichmentisthetermoftenusedtodescribesituationswheretheoxygen levelisgreaterthaninair.Oxygeniscolourless,odourlessandtasteless.The presenceofanoxygenenrichedatmospherecannotbeeasilydetectedbythe humansenses. Themaindangertopeoplefromanoxygenenrichedatmosphereisthatclothingor haircaneasilycatchfire,causingseriousorevenfatalburns.Forexample,people caneasilysettheirclothingandbeddingonfirebysmokingwhilereceivingoxygen treatmentforbreathingdifficulties. Smokingshouldbeforbiddenwhereoxygenisbeingused. Oxygenenrichmentisoftentheresultof:

leaksfromdamagedorpoorlymaintainedhoses,pipesandvalves;
leaksfrompoorconnections;
openingvalvesdeliberatelyoraccidentally;
notclosingvalvesproperlyafteruse;
usinganexcessofoxygeninwelding,flamecuttingorasimilarprocess;
poorventilationwhereoxygenisbeingused.

Consequently,themainwaystopreventoxygenenrichmentaretokeepoxygen equipmentingoodconditionandtotakecarewhenusingit.Goodventilationwill alsoreducetheriskofoxygenenrichment. Oxygenenrichmentcanalsoresultfromthemisuseofoxygen.Neveruseoxygen for:

coolingorrefreshingtheairinconfinedspaces; dustingbenches,machineryorclothing.

Ifoxygenenrichmentfromanoxygenleakissuspected,theoxygensupplyshould beturnedoff.Cigarettesandopenflamesshouldbeextinguished.Theroom shouldbewellventilatedandthesourceoftheleakidentifiedandrepaired.Itis possiblethatoxygenmaycontaminateanyclothinginthearea.Ifthisissuspected, theclothingshouldpreferablyberemovedandtakenoutsideforairingand ventilating. Confinedspaces Someofthemostseriousoxygenrelatedincidentshaveinvolveddamagedoxygen hosesleakingintoconfinedspaces,whereweldingandburningoperationswere takingplace.Theworkersoxygenenrichedclothingcaughtfire,causingseriousor fatalinjuries. Gascylindersshouldnotbetakenintoconfinedspaces;thegascanbefedinby usinghoses.Thehosesshouldberemovedfromtheconfinedspacewhenworkis finishedorsuspended,suchasattheendofeachday.Wherethisisnot practicable,thehosesshouldbedisconnectedfromthegassupplyatthecylinder ormanifold. Wheretheriskfromoxygenenrichmentishigh,suchasinaconfinedspaceora poorlyventilatedroom,theuseofoxygenmonitoringequipmentisadvisable.

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Neverusematerialsincompatiblewithoxygen
Somematerialsreactexplosivelyiftheycomeintocontactwithpureoxygenathigh pressure.Othermaterialsmaycatchfirespontaneously.Suchmaterialsare incompatiblewithoxygen. Equipmentdesignedforoxygenserviceismadefrommaterialsandcomponents thathavebeentestedandprovedtobecompatible,andaresafeforthepurpose. Thereasonsforaparticulardesignandchoiceofmaterialarenotalwaysobvious. Usingsubstitutematerialsorcomponents,whichappeartobesimilarbutarenot proventobeoxygencompatible,isextremelydangerousandhascausedmany accidents. Youneedtotakecarewhenreplacing: Oringsandgaskets Therearehundredsofdifferenttypesofrubberandelastomer,andmostarenot compatiblewithoxygen. Metalcomponents Manymetalsandalloysarenotsuitableforusewithoxygen. Pressureregulators Youmustensurethatthepressureratingoftheregulatorisnotlessthanthefull cylindersupplypressure.Pressureregulatorsforgasweldingequipmentshould complywithBSENISO2503andformedicalgaseswithBSEN738.Many existingregulatorsweremadetostandardswhichhavenowbeenwithdrawnsuch asBS5741,BS7650andBSEN585.Theseregulatorsmaynotbesuitablefor pressuresabove200bar.Ifindoubt,checkwiththesupplierormanufacturer. Oxygenhoses Theflexibleoxygenhoseusedforwelding,etc,shouldcomplywithBSEN559or BSEN739. Lubricants Asarule,lubricantsshouldbeavoided.Onlylubricantsthataremadeforoxygen service,andarespecifiedbytheequipmentsupplier,shouldbeused. Tape Tapeshouldbeavoided.Onlytapethatismarkedassuitableforoxygenservice, andisspecifiedbytheequipmentsupplier,shouldbeused. Othercomponents Insomecases,thematerialsmayappeartobecompatiblebuttheshapeand configurationofcomponentsmaybeimportantinminimisingthefirerisk.Only componentsapprovedbythemanufacturershouldbeusedwhenmaintaining oxygenequipment. Youshouldalwaysensurethathighpressureoxygensystemsaredesigned, constructed,installedandcommissionedbycompetentpeoplewhohave specialisedknowledgeofthesubject.Alloxygenapparatusandequipmentmust beproperlyidentifiedwiththegasnameandsafeworkingpressure.
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Neveruseoxygeninequipmentnotdesignedforit
Manyseriousaccidentshavebeencausedbyusingoxygeninsteadofothergases suchasair,compressedairornitrogen.Oxygencanreactexplosivelywithoilsand greases.Peoplehavebeeninjuredorevenkilledwhenpumps,engines,tyresand pressureequipmenthavebeenblownapartbytheexplosion.Oxygencanalso causeothermaterialstoignitespontaneously.Theresultingfirecancausedamage toequipmentandinjurytopeople. Youshouldneveruseoxygenfor:

drivingpneumatictools; inflatingvehicletyres; pressurisingandpurgingsystems; replacingairorinertgas; startingdieselengines.

Oxygenmustnotbeintroducedintoanyequipmentunlessithasbeendesigned foroxygenservicebycompetentpeoplewithspecialistknowledge.

Takecarewithoxygencylindersandequipment
Ifoxygencylindersandequipmentareusedcarelesslyorincorrectly,thenafire mayresult.Allusersofoxygenshouldknowandunderstandthedangers,and shouldreceivetrainingintheuseofoxygenequipment. Thereareanumberofprecautionstofollowwhenusingoxygenequipment. Oxygencylinders Youshouldalways:
handleoxygencylinderscarefully.Useapurposebuilttrolleytomovethem; keepcylinderschainedorclampedtopreventthemfromfallingover; storeoxygencylinderswhennotinuseinawellventilatedstorageareaor

compound,awayfromcombustiblematerialsandseparatedfromcylindersof flammablegas. Oxygenequipment Youshouldalways:

openthevalveslowly.Rapidopening,particularlyofcylindervalves,canresult

inmomentarilyhighoxygenvelocities.Anyparticleswillbepushedthroughthe systemveryquickly,causingfrictionalheat.Alternatively,ifthesystemhasa deadendsuchaswhereapressureregulatorisconnectedtoanoxygen cylinder,heatcanbegeneratedthroughcompressionoftheoxygen.Both casescanresultinafire; ensurethatthepressureadjustingscrewofthepressureregulatorisfully unwound,sothattheregulatoroutletvalveisclosedbeforeopeningthe oxygencylindervalve,particularlywhenopeningthecylindervalveforthefirst timeafterchangingcylinders; ensurethatcylindervalvesareclosedandpipedsuppliesisolatedwhenever workisstopped.Donottrytocutoffthesupplyofoxygenbynippingor kinkingflexiblehosewhenchangingequipment,egblowpipes;

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maintainhosesandotherequipmentingoodcondition.Leaktestscanbe

carriedouteasilyusingaproprietarysprayorliquidsolutionthatiscertifiedfor useonoxygensystems.Soaporliquidsthatmaycontaingreaseshould notbeused. Cleanliness Youshouldalways:

keepoxygenequipmentclean.Contaminationbyparticulatematter,dust,sand,

oils,greasesorgeneralatmosphericdebrisisapotentialfirehazard.Portable equipmentisparticularlysusceptibletocontamination,andprecautionsshould betakentokeepitclean; usecleanhandsorgloveswhenassemblingoxygenequipment,egattaching thepressureregulator,makingconnections; wearsuitablecleanclothing,freefromoilandeasilycombustiblecontaminants. Generalprecautions Youshouldalways:

ensurethatventilationisadequate; checkthatfireextinguishersareingoodconditionandreadyforuse; checkthatescaperoutesareclear.

Summaryofadvice
1 2 Beawareofthedangersofoxygenifindoubt,ask. Preventoxygenenrichmentbyensuringthatequipmentisleaktightandin goodworkingorder.

3 Checkthatventilationisadequate. 4 Alwaysuseoxygencylindersandequipmentcarefullyandcorrectly. 5 Alwaysopenoxygencylindervalvesslowly. 1 Donotsmokewhereoxygenisbeingused. 2 Neverusereplacementpartswhichhavenotbeenspecificallyapprovedfor oxygenservice. 3 Neveruseoxygenequipmentabovethepressurescertifiedbythe manufacturer.

4 Neveruseoilorgreasetolubricateoxygenequipment. 5 Neveruseoxygeninequipmentwhichisnotdesignedforoxygenservice.

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References
Fivestepstoriskassessment INDG163(rev2)HSEBooks2006(singlecopyfreeor pricedpacksof10ISBN9780717661893)www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdf BSENISO2503:1998Gasweldingequipment.Pressureregulatorsforgas cylindersusedinwelding,cuttingandalliedprocessesupto300bar British StandardsInstitution BSENISO105241:2006Pressureregulatorsforusewithmedicalgases. Pressureregulatorsandpressureregulatorswithflowmeteringdevices British StandardsInstitution BSEN7383:1999Pressureregulatorsforusewithmedicalgases.Pressure regulatorsintegratedwithcylindervalves BritishStandardsInstitution BSEN559:2003Gasweldingequipment.Rubberhosesforwelding,cuttingand alliedprocessesBritishStandardsInstitution BSEN739:1998LowpressurehoseassembliesforusewithmedicalgasesBritish StandardsInstitution Safeworkinconfinedspaces.ConfinedSpacesRegulations1997.ApprovedCode ofPractice,Regulationsandguidance L101HSEBooks1997 ISBN9780717614059 Thesafeuseofcompressedgasesinwelding,flamecuttingandalliedprocesses HSG139HSEBooks1997ISBN9780717606801 Industrialgascylindermanifoldsanddistributionpipework/pipelines(excluding acetylene). CP4(rev3)CodeofPractice BritishCompressedGasesAssociation 2005 Thesafeuseofoxyfuelgasequipment(individualportableormobilecylinder supply)CP7(rev4)CodeofPracticeBritishCompressedGasesAssociation2004 Guidanceforthestorageoftransportablegascylindersforindustrialuse Guidance NoteGN2(rev3)BritishCompressedGasesAssociation2005 Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetoensuretheaccuracyofthereferenceslistedin
thispublication,theirfutureavailabilitycannotbeguaranteed.
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Thisleafletcontainsnotesongoodpracticewhicharenotcompulsorybut whichyoumayfindhelpfulinconsideringwhatyoumayneedtodo.

Crowncopyright Thispublicationmaybefreelyreproduced,exceptfor advertising,endorsementorcommercialpurposes.Firstpublished08/99.Please acknowledgethesourceasHSE.

PublishedbytheHealthandSafetyExecutive HSE8(rev2) Reprinted02/08 6 of6pages