Compressed Gas Cylinders

GAS CYLINDER SAFETY

Foothill De Anza Community College District follows certain standards and rules to maintain safety on campus and in district operations. Vendors must support and participate in the following rules when working at FHDA.

STORAGE OF GAS CYLINDERS

• When cylinders are stored outside, they should be stored in a secure enclosure. The door or gate must be kept locked when not in use and the enclosure must be properly labeled.

• For use inside buildings, the best internal location is against or near to an external wall. This is particularly true of flammable or explosive gases. Cylinders must always be secured to a wall or in-use on a trolley.

• Used cylinders must be separately stored from ones containing gas. Empty cylinders must be properly labeled as "EMPTY".

• Cylinder stock should be rotated so that older cylinders are used first.

• Acetylene cylinders must be kept upright. If they have been stored horizontally then they should not be used for 12 hours.

• When storing oxygen and flammable gas cylinders within the same room, they should be separated by a wall or 3m.

• Gas cylinders must always be firmly secured and never left unsupported. Upon delivery, the vendor must attach both chains to the cylinder to properly secure the cylinder.

KEEPING THE SYSTEM SAFE

Any hosing or tubes connected to a regulator must be able to stand up to the maximum output pressure. This also applies to clips securing the hose. Any equipment connected to the cylinder must also be able to stand up to the maximum output pressure. Only systems which are essentially open ended may be fitted with low pressure hosing.

• Flammable gases such as acetylene must be fitted with a suitable flashback arrestor.

• Liquefied gas cylinders are designed to be used in a vertical position unless otherwise specified.

• Refilling of, or decanting from, a gas cylinder is prohibited.

• Any system connected to a gas cylinder must be risk assessed. Findings of significant risk must be recorded in writing by the vendor to the department utilizing the gas.

PROBLEM REGULATORS AND ATTACHMENTS - The vendor delivering the gases will inspect for and remedy any of the following issues with regulators in the course of delivering and maintaining the cylinders.

Regulators must not be used if:

• They are damaged. • Are over 10 years old. • Specified below the maximum pressure of the cylinder. • Have no maximum pressure markings.

Regulators should be replaced if:

• They are over 5 years old and not serviced • The adjusting screw is non captive • The output connection is damaged • The regulator is from another gas

INVENTORY LEVELS

• The Divisions and departments on campus will maintain a suitable working inventory in their respective areas. This will involve having a cylinder in use and a replacement cylinder. The department will not "stockpile" cylinders in excess of likely use. The inventory must conform to the stated inventory in the Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP).

• Cylinders by their nature of being a pressurized gas, must be listed on the HMBP. Any time that a cylinder is added to an area, the FHDA Office of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) must be informed so that the HMBP may be re-submitted for that area.

• Normally the vendor will replace the empty cylinder with a full cylinder. They will not provided additional cylinders unless they are ensured by the department that EH&S had been informed of the inventory change.