Compressed Gas Cylinders:

The Sleeping Giant

I am a high pressure, compressed gas cylinder. I stand 57 inches tall. I am 9 inches in diameter. I weigh in at 155 pounds when filled. I am pressurized at 2,200 pounds per square inch (psi). I have a wall thickness of about 1/4-inch. I wear a regulator and hose when at work. I wear a label to identify the gas I am holding. My color is not the answer. I transform miscellaneous stacks of material into glistening ships and many other things - when properly used. I transform glistening ships and many other things into miscellaneous stacks of material - when allowed to unleash my fury unchecked. I can be ruthless and deadly in the hands of the careless and uninformed. I am too frequently left standing alone on my small base without other visible means of support - my cap removed by an unthinking worker. I am ready to be toppled over - when my naked valve can be damaged or even snapped off - and all my power unleashed through an opening no larger than a lead pencil. I am still proud of my capabilities - here are a few of them: .....I have on rare occasions been known to jet away - faster than any dragster. .....I might smash my way through brick walls. .....I might even fly through the air. .....I may spin, ricochet, crash and slash through anything in my path. You can be my master, but only under these terms: .....Full or empty - see to it that my cap is on, straight and snug. .....Never -repeat- never leave me standing alone. Secure me so that I cannot fall.

Safe Handling and Use Guidelines

Be familiar with the guidelines on safe transport of high pressure cylinders :

never drag, slide or roll the cylinder - get a cylinder cart or truck and use it; always have the protective cap covering the valve - never transport with the regulator in place; and make sure the cylinder is secured to the cart during transport . as with any hazardous material, you may not store gas cylinders in public hallways or other unprotected areas; cylinders should be segregated in hazard classes while in storage, at the minimum, oxidizers (such as oxygen) must be separated from flammable gases, and empty cylinders should be isolated from filled cylinders. make sure the cylinder is equipped with the correct regulator. Always use the regulator designed for the material in use, and be especially careful that under no circumstances is grease or oil used on regulator or cylinder valves because these substances may cause an adverse, dangerous reaction within the cylinder. the cylinder should be placed so that the valve handle at the top is easily accessible at all times. open the valve slowly and only with the proper regulator in place - the valve should be opened all the way. Never leave a valve part way open - either open it all the way or close it all the way. the valve should never be left open when equipment is not in use, even when empty; air and moisture may diffuse through an open valve, causing contamination and corrosion within the cylinder. keep the cylinder clear of all sparks, flames and electrical circuits .

Special precautions are also required when storing cylinders:

Before the cylinder is used the following precautions should be taken:

When cylinders are in use consider the following:

** Remember - the greatest physical hazard represented by the compressed gas cylinder in the work place is the tremendous force that may be released if it is knocked over! **