© 2003 Liberty Mutual Group – All Rights Reserved 1

Construction Safety Talks

Compressed Gas Cylinders

No. 52

How This Talk Applies To My

Crew:

Some Things To Know Before You Give Your Talk.

As a supervisor, let your crew know that they probably won't find many job sites where oxygen and acetylene cylinders are not used. They are used so often that it's easy to be careless about them.

A cylinder accident can be any one of the following:

• You catch your foot on a loose hose and pull an unsecured cylinder over on your leg

• A cylinder slips out of a choker and hits you on the arm

• The valve is knocked off an oxygen cylinder (2200 PSI) and the cylinder rockets around the job site

• A leaking cylinder is not reported, filling the area with acetylene which ignites and causes a serious fire

To help prevent these accidents, tell your crew to:

• Always be sure the valve protection caps are on before moving the cylinders

• Always keep cylinders upright and secured

• Always close the valve on empty cylinders, put the cap back on, and mark them "MT"

• Always use a cradle or cage when hoisting cylinders with a crane or Lull.

• Always separate empty oxygen and fuel cylinders by 20 feet of a half-hour rated partition

• Never use cylinders for rollers or supports

• Never tamper with the valves or safety devices

• Never store cylinders near floor openings or the building perimeter

• Never store cylinders in a hall or stairway that is used for emergency exit

© 2003 Liberty Mutual Group – All Rights Reserved 2

Try This For Show And Tell!

Show your crew this diagram or get an actual cylinder and point out the safety features and proper ways to store it.

Questions you can use to get them talking:

• Why is a pressure regulator necessary and how is it used?

• Has anyone ever had an accident - or know of one - involving a compressed gas cylinder?

Attended By:

The illustrations, instructions and principles contained in the material are general in scope and, to the best of our knowledge, current at the time of publication. No attempt has been made to interpret any referenced codes, standards or regulations. Please refer to the appropriate code, standard or regulation making authority for interpretation or clarification.