Compressed Gas Safety

Project Requirements
Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
Gas Behavior
Gas Cylinder Color Coding
Hazards
Storage of Gas Cylinders
Handling of Gas Cylinder
Gas Cylinder Storage
Set up your Torch
Inspection
Safe Use of Oxy-Fuel Gas Cutting
Equipment
PPE Requirements
General Safety Precautions

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 Compressed Gas Safety
Only trained personnel are allowed to operate gas cutting
equipment
Inspection of storage area (Gas Storage Permit)
Quarterly check of regulators by competent person.
Colour code, inspection tag / inspection register
Calibration of all cylinder gauges
Never take compressed gas cylinders into confined spaces.

The material safety data sheet is a document accompanying

industrial product carrying vital information about the product.
These include:
Name of product
Class of product (organic/inorganic)
Safe use and associated hazards
Storage, handling and disposal
MSDS should be available to HSE section, clinic, and storage
area
Users must read and understand the requirement of the MSDS

Oxygen
Color code - white for medical
use and normally green for
industrial use
Support combustion
Grease, oil and other
combustible should not be
brought in contact with oxygen
to prevent ignition
Oxygen regulators is right hand
thread
Gas Behavior
Acetylene, LPG and Propane Argon Gas
Flammable gas Displace oxygen
Don’t use flammable gases outside the Argon gas regulators is
cylinder at pressure excess of 1.5 bar right hand thread
gauge Normally used for welding
Flammable gases regulators has left for purging
hand thread A simple asphyxiant can
Delivery pressure of Flammable gases make people suffocated
CHARLES EAMES
must not exceed 15 psi when breathing argon by
Acetylene is very unstable at pressures mistake
over 15psi and is shock sensitive and
may explode under certain conditions
 Compressed Gas Safety
Gas cylinders are often color coded, but the codes are not standard across different jurisdictions,
and sometimes are not regulated. Cylinder color should not be used for positive product
identification. Gas cylinders have labels affixed to them which identify the product they contain
and the label alone should be used for positive identification. When the identification provided by
the label is dubious, it should be marked Contents Unknown and returned to the manufacturer.

Different countries have different gas color codes but attempts are being made to standardize the
colors of cylinder shoulders.
Colors of cylinders for Medical gases are covered by an International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) standard, ISO 32; but not all countries use this standard.
Within Europe gas cylinders colors are being standardized according to EN 1089-3, the standard colors
applying to the cylinder shoulder only, i.e. the top of the cylinder close to the pillar valve.
In the United States, color coding is not regulated by law. (Therefore, one should not rely on the color
of a cylinder to indicate what it contains. The label or decal should always be checked for product
identification). 

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 Compressed Gas Safety
All Gas cylinder should be color coded as per host country standards or project site requirements
Manufacturers gas cylinder color coding standards should no be tampered
Gas cylinders should be properly tagged empty

European cylinder colors (EN 1089-3)

The colors below are specific shades, defined in the European Standard
in terms of RAL coordinates:
Specific named gases
Acetylene cylinders are maroon.
Argon cylinders have a dark green shoulder.
Carbon dioxide cylinders have a grey shoulder.
Helium cylinders have a brown shoulder.
Nitrous oxide cylinders have a blue shoulder.
Nitrogen cylinders have a black shoulder. (Previously grey, in the United
Kingdom).
Oxygen cylinders have a white shoulder. (Previously black, in the United
Kingdom). YOUNUS AHAMED SHAIK
 Compressed Gas Safety
Based on gas properties (EN 1089-3)
Toxic or corrosive gas cylinders have a yellow shoulder.
Flammable gas cylinders have a red shoulder.
Oxidizing gas cylinders have a light blue shoulder.
Inert (non toxic, non flammable, non oxidizing) gas cylinders have a bright green
shoulder.
Toxic and flammable or toxic and corrosive gas cylinders have yellow and red
shoulders (either two bands or quartered).
Toxic and oxidizing or corrosive and oxidizing gas cylinders have yellow and
light blue shoulders (either two bands or quartered).

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 Compressed Gas Safety
1. The main hazards associated with oxy-fuel activities are:
2. Explosion/high noise
3. Fire
4. Injury
5. Burns
6. Death
7. Acetylene and propane are highly inflammable.
8. Pure oxygen will explode if it comes in contact with oil, grease, grime
and other hydrocarbons.
 Compressed Gas Safety
1. Company must approve all compressed gas cylinder storage
areas (Gas storage permit)
2. A valid copy of storage permit must be pasted on the
storage areas
3. Cylinders of oxygen and flammable gases should not be
stored together
4. They should be separated by at least 6 meters
5. Keep cylinders on a firm surface and secured upright to
prevent it from falling
6. Should be separated by a noncombustible barrier at least 2
meters high having a fire resistant rating of at least 1/2 hour
7. Do not keep near naked flames and prohibit smoking
8. Protect from direct sunlight and high temperature
9. Protect regulator and torch from ingress of foreign objects
10. Warning signs should be provided (i.e. NO SMOKING)
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Compressed Gas Safety
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 Compressed Gas Safety
Tanks come with either a bare tank stem or a hand valve
for turning them on and off. If there are children in the
house, it is safer to have the bare tank stem and to use a
tank key for these operations. Do not leave the key on an
unsupervised tank. Store it with your tools for
safekeeping.
It is important to use only a tank key and not a set of
pliers for opening and closing the tank stem. Pliers can
round out the corners of the stem and damage it. Tank
keys are inexpensive, so buy two, just in case.
Locate your tank in a well-ventilated area.
 Compressed Gas Safety
To assemble the tank/torch system, take off the plastic
cap protecting the regulator connection threads and open
the tank stem with the tank key for just a second, counter-
clockwise, and then close it. If the tank is full, there will be
a loud "whoosh" sound. This will blow out any dirt or dust
from the tank stem. Save the plastic cap for protecting the
threads when you trade in the empty tank.
Position the tank so the tank valve is on your left.
Attach the regulator to the tank valve -- this can be tricky,
and needs a steady, firm hand. Firmly push the regulator
into the valve opening, and turn the regulator nut
clockwise, toward you
 Compressed Gas Safety
Tighten the regulator nut with an adjustable or universal wrench. This
requires some strength, but be careful not to over tighten and potentially
damage the threads on the regulator. If you can wiggle the gauges back
and forth, you have not tightened the regulator nut enough.
If you are using a regulator-mounted flashback arrestor, connect it to the
regulator at the hose valve. Fuel fittings are left-threaded and tighten to
the left - that's counter-clockwise.
Attach the red hose brass coupling to the hose valve at the regulator (or
regulator-mounted flashback arrestor
Attach the torch head to the torch handle by pushing the head in as far
as it will go and turning it slightly.
Tighten the torch head nut. Do this by hand -- you will be changing torch
heads as needed.
If you are using a torch-mounted flashback arrestor, connect it to the
torch handle. Remember, these are reverse threads, and must be
attached counter-clockwise. Snug with a wrench. Attach the other end of
the hose to the torch handle (or torch-mounted flashback arrestor).
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 Compressed Gas Safety
Screw the T-shaped regulator adjustment knob into the dimple under
the gauge faces, turning clockwise. Insert it approximately halfway into
the regulator.
Stand to the side and slowly turn on the tank by turning the tank key
counter-clockwise about a quarter of a turn. There is never a need to
open your tank any more than half a turn, at the most. The regulator
gauge or gauges will register how much pressure there is in the tank,
which is also a measure of how full the tank is, and control the rate of
the gas flow.
If you have one gauge, it will automatically jump to about 1600 on your
gauge. This means your tank is full.
If you have two gauges, one will register the delivery pressure, and the
other gauge will register supply pressure.
Turn on the torch hand piece, and set the left hand gauge using the
regulator adjustment knob so the gas gauge reads between 3 and 4 --
this is the correct pressure for most soldering operations.
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 Compressed Gas Safety
Turn off the torch hand piece.
With the gauges set, bubble test all of the connections with either
commercial leak detection fluid, or a solution of water and liquid
detergent. Liberally paint all connections with a clean paintbrush. Look at
every connection closely over a period of several minutes. If any bubbles
form, turn off the tank with the tank key and tighten the leaking
connection.
After tightening a leaking connection, blot it dry with a clean tissue and
turn the tank back on. Reapply leak detection solution. Keep checking
and tightening until no bubbles appear.
If you still see bubbles or smell a garlic smell, which is acetylene, DO NOT
light the torch. Turn the tank off. Open a window.
If the leaky connection is at the regulator threads, remove the regulator
and use Teflon tape to wrap the tank threads- never more than two wraps
are needed.
Reattach the regulator.
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 Compressed Gas Safety
After repeatedly testing and tightening a leaky connection, if you still have bubbles, it may be a faulty
tank. Turn it off with the key, disconnect the regulator, hose and torch and move the tank outdoors.
Call or return the tank to the dealer.
If there are no bubbles and you do not smell acetylene, and your gauges are steady, you are ready to
use the torch. Always use a striker -- never a cigarette lighter or matches -- to light a torch.
There will be a slight "pop" as gas enters the torch when you light it, and also when you turn it off. The
"pop" is a safety feature which ensures that extra gas remaining in the torch handle is burned off.

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 Compressed Gas Safety
When you have finished using the torch, turn off the flame, while listening for the "pop."
If you are through soldering for the day, or will be leaving the studio for a while, turn off the
tank by turning the tank key clockwise. Open the torch hand piece knob to release any
pressure on the hose. The gauges will slowly fall to zero. Close the torch hand piece knob.
Release any remaining pressure with the regulator adjusting knob. Verify a zero reading on
both gauges. That's all there is to it. Soon, using and setting up your tank will become
comfortable.

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 Compressed Gas Safety
Inspection
Check for loose clips at the end
connection between hose, torch &
gauges.
Use oxygen regulator for oxygen gas
only; and acetylene regulator for
acetylene only.
Check that damaged components are
not used.
Check for leaks on the fittings using
soapy water.
Check that rated pressure does not
exceed 15 psi for acetylene.
Ensure that flash back arrestor is
installed at regulators.
Also recommended at torches.
lInstall inspection tag.
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Compressed Gas Safety
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 Compressed Gas Safety
NOTE: All valves must be opened slowly
Opening the regulator valve
Turning regulator valve counter clockwise before the cylinder valve is turned on.
Opening the fuel valve
Open acetylene/propane valve
Light
- Open oxygen flame setting valve and set flame
Preheating
Open the cutting gas valve and cut
Shutting-off after cutting

This includes but is not limited to:

Cutting goggles/ Safetyglass (dark) with faceshield
Long leather gloves
Long sleeved leather apron
Leggings YOUNUS AHAMED SHAIK
Safety shoes or boots
 Compressed Gas Safety
Spray painting the regulator and its components is a potentially deadly act
Paint is an organic compound and its contact with oxygen, may result in explosion
Should there be leakage at the time of this act, what do you think will be the result
Never attempt to repair a cylinder by welding on it.
Do not store gas cylinders near energized electrical systems
Inspect the cylinder for deep gauges.
Do not use a damaged cylinder, report it to your supervisor
Do not let oxygen come in contact with any organic product
Use only friction lighter & light in a well ventilated environment
Do not cut on close containers, know what is inside the container
Materials to be cut should not be placed on a wooden block, because wood burns
Materials to be cut should not be placed on concrete. Heated concrete explodes and
can cause severe burns and injury.
 Compressed Gas Safety
Ensure that materials to be cut are placed on a support or on a sheet or metal
Those cutting at height should ensure the use of approved fire resistant
blanket
It is very important that when using oxy-fuel gas cutting equipment,
flammable materials should be kept at a distance of about 10 meters or
protected
Cutting torch should not be set aside with the flame on
Always keep fire extinguishers hand nearby
In the event of flash back, shut cylinder valves immediately
If fire is already in the cylinder, call emergency dispatch

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