Gas Cylinder Safety
Safety Caps: Always ensure that safety caps are securely in place whenever cylinders are not in use. This helps protect the valve from unintended damage and potential accidental, uncontrolled release of gas.
Seismic Chains: Cylinders must be secured with seismic chains to prevent them from falling over. Chains are required while in use (lab), in storage (bunker), and in transport (on cart). This is especially important in areas prone to earthquakes, like CSULB.
Transport: Ensure valve is closed, the regulator is removed, and the cylinder safety cap installed. Secure tank on appropriate cart/trolley with restraint chain for transport.
Tank Pressure: A full tank is ~2200 psi (8-900 psi for CO2). A tank is considered empty when pressure reaches 25 psi. A cylinder should never be emptied to a pressure lower than 25 psi. At lower pressures, the tank contents can suck in air; contaminating contents. It’s always a good idea to mark the cylinder “empty“ when it reaches 25 psi so all gas users are alerted that the tank is empty. Promptly return empty cylinders to the gas storage area so that it can be refilled for use by others.
Regular Inspections: Regularly inspect cylinders for signs of damage or wear. Report any issues immediately to the Safety Office.
If you’d like a comprehensive refresher, please refer to the online PowerPoint training presentation.
Citation
@misc{gredig2024,
author = {Gredig, Thomas},
title = {Gas {Cylinder} {Safety}},
date = {2024-12-09},
url = {https://www.csulb.edu/~tgredig/posts/news/Gas-Cylinder-Safety.html},
langid = {en}
}