Compressed Gas Cylinder Handling
General Handling
Safety glasses, gloves and safety shoes should be worn at all times when handling cylinders. Appropriate firefighting, personnel safety and first aid equipment should be available in case of emergencies.
Transporting Cylinders
Always move cylinders by a hand truck or cart designed for this purpose. During transportation, cylinders should be properly secured to prevent them from falling, dropping or striking each other. Never use a cylinder cart without a chain. Do not move a cylinder with a regulator connected to it. Never transport a gas cylinder without its valve protection cap firmly in place. Keep both hands on the cylinder cart during transport. Remember a cylinder cart or hand truck is not a suitable place for storage of a cylinder. If a cylinder is equipped with a SCANDINA™ cap, do not remove it. Never lift a cylinder by its cylinder cap. The threads are affixed to the cylinder body; lifting it by the cap will cause the cap to detach from the body.
Specialty gas cylinders should never be transported in passenger vehicles. While certain flammable gases like acetylene and propane may be transported in open bed pickup trucks, other flammable gases and toxic gases are not allowed in this type of vehicle. Cylinders must be adequately secured and vehicles must be properly placarded for the gases they transport. Customers may be able to safely transport limited quantities of particular gases, but the preferred method of transporting cylinders of compressed gas is to have Air Liquide deliver and pick up the cylinders by truck or tractor-trailer with a permanently separated cab. Contact us for more information.