AppendixF–CompressedGases

CompressedgasesmustbeconstructedaccordingtotheInterstateCommerceCommission(ICC).

ICCdefinitionofacompressedgas:Anymaterialormixturehavinginthecontainereitheranabsolutepressureexceeding40poundspersquareinchat70F,oranabsolutepressureexceeding104poundspersquareinchat130F,orboth;oranyliquidflammablematerialhavingaReidvaporpressureexceeding40poundspersquareinchabsoluteat100F.

General

• Itisillegaltoremoveortochangetheprescribednumbersormarksstampedintocylinders.• EachcylindermustbeartheproperICClabelrequiredforthecompressedgascontained.• Itisillegaltoshipaleakingcylinderbycommonorcontractcarrierwhetherchargedorpartially

charged.Itisillegaltoshipcompressedgasincylindersthathavebeenexposedtofire.• Donotdefaceorremoveanymarkings,labels,decals,tags,andstencilmarksusedfor

identificationofcontentattachedbythesupplier.• Cylinderscontainingcompressedgasesshouldnotbesubjectedtoatemperatureabove125F.A

flameshouldneverbepermittedtocomeincontactwithanypartofacompressedgascylinder.• Keepcylindervalveclosedatalltimes,exceptwhenthecylinderisinactiveuse.• Neverattempttorepairortoaltercylinders,valves,orsafetyreliefdevices.• Nevertamperwiththesafetyreliefdevicesinvalvesorcylinders.• Donotplacecylinderswheretheymightbecomepartofanelectriccircuit.Whenthecylinders

areusedinconjunctionwithelectricwelding,precautionsmustbetakenagainstaccidentallygroundingcompressedgascylindersandallowingthemtobeburnedbyelectricweldingarc.

• Donotrepaintcylindersunlessauthorizedbytheowner.

Moving

• Whereremovablecapsareprovidedforvalveprotection,suchcapsshouldbekeptoncylindersatalltimesexceptwhencylindersareinuse.

• Donotliftcylindersbythecap.• Neverdropcylindersnorpermitthemto

strikeagainsteachotheroragainstothersurfacesviolently.

• Avoiddraggingorslidingcylinders.Itissafertomovecylindersevenshortdistancesbyusingasuitabletruckorbyuseofahandtruck.

Storing

• Cylindersshouldbestoredinaccordancewithalllocal,state,andmunicipalregulationsandinaccordancewithappropriatestandardsoftheCompressedGasAssociationandtheNationalFireProtectionAssociation.

• Compressedgascontainers,cylinders,andtanksinuseorinstorageshallbesecuredtopreventthemfromfallingorbeingknockedoverbycorrallingthemandsecuringthemtoacart,framework,orfixedobjectbyuseofarestraint.

• Cylinderstorageareasshouldbeprominentlypostedwiththenamesofthegasestobestored.

• Wheregasesofdifferenttypesarestoredatthesamelocation,cylindersshouldbegroupedbytypesofgas,andthegroupsarrangedtotakeintoaccountthegasescontained,e.g.,flammablegasesshouldnotbestorednearoxidizinggases.

• Chargedandemptycylindersshouldbestoredseparatelywiththestoragelayoutsoplannedthatcylinderscomprisingoldstockcanberemovedfirstwithaminimumhandlingofothercylinders.

• Storageroomsshouldbedry,cool,andwellventilated.Wherepractical,storageroomsshouldbefire-resistant.

• Storageinsubsurfacelocationsshouldbeavoided.Cylindersshouldnotbestoredattemperaturesabove125F,nornearradiatorsorothersourcesofheat.

• Donotstorecylindersnearhighlyflammablesubstancessuchasoil,gasolineorwaste.• Cylindersshouldnotbeexposedtocontinuousdampnessandshouldnotbestorednearsaltor

othercorrosivechemicalsorfumes.Rustingwilldamagethecylindersandmaycausethevalveprotectivecapstostick.

• Protectcylindersfromanyobjectthatwillproduceacutorotherabrasioninthesurfaceofthemetal.Donotstorecylindersnearelevatorsorgangways,orinlocationswhereheavymovingobjectsmaystrikeorfallonthem.Wherecapsareprovidedforvalveprotection,suchcapsshouldbekeptoncylindersinstorage.

• Cylindersmaybestoredintheopenbutshouldbeprotectedfromthegroundbeneathtopreventrusting.Cylindersmaybestoredinthesunexceptinlocalitieswhereextremetemperaturesprevail,orinthecaseofcertaingaseswherethesupplier'srecommendationforshadingshallbeobserved.Ificeorsnowaccumulateonacylinder,thawatroomtemperature,orwithwateratatemperaturenotexceeding125F.

• Cylindersshouldbeprotectedagainsttamperingbyunauthorizedindividuals.

Withdrawingcylindercontent

• Compressedgasesshouldbehandledonlybyexperiencedandproperlyinstructedpersons.• Theuserresponsibleforthehandlingofthecylinderandconnectingitforuseshouldcheckthe

identityofthegasbyreadingthelabelorothermarkingsonthecylinderbeforeusing.Ifcylindercontentisnotidentifiedbymarking,returncylindertothesupplierwithoutusing.

• Removabletypevalveprotectivecapsshouldremaininplaceuntilreadytowithdrawcontent,ortoconnecttoamanifold.

• Beforeusingcylinder,besureitisproperlysupportedtopreventitfrombeingknockedover.

• Suitablepressureregulatingdevicesmustbeusedinallcaseswheregasisadmittedtosystemshavingpressureratinglimitationslowerthanthecylinderpressure.

• Neverforceconnectionsthatdonotfit.Threadsonregulatorconnectionsorotherauxiliaryequipmentmustbethesameasthoseoncylindervalveoutlet.Detailed,dimensioneddrawingsofstandardcylindervalveoutletandinletconnectionsarepublishedinthe"AmericanandCanadianStandardCompressedGasCylinderValveOutlet&InletConnections."

• Wherecompressedgascylindersareconnectedtoamanifold,suchamanifoldanditsrelatedequipment,suchasregulators,mustbeofproperdesign.

• Regulators,gages,hoses,andotherappliancesprovidedforusewithaparticulargasorgroupofgasesmustnotbeusedoncylinderscontaininggaseshavingdifferentchemicalpropertiesunlessinformationobtainedfromthesupplierindicatesthatthiscanbedonesafely.

• Neverusecompressedgastodustoffclothing,asthismaycauseseriousinjurytotheeyesorbody,orcreateafirehazard.

• Neverusecompressedgaseswherethecylinderisapttobecontaminatedbythefeedbackofprocessmaterialsunlessprotectedbysuitabletrapsorcheckvalves.

• Connectionstopiping,regulators,andotherappliancesmustalwaysbekepttighttopreventleakage.Whereahoseisused,itistobekeptingoodcondition.

• Beforearegulatorisremovedfromacylinder,closethecylindervalveandreleaseallpressurefromtheregulator.

Flammablegases

• Donotstorecylindersnearhighlyflammablesolvents,combustiblewastematerialandsimilarsubstances,ornearunprotectedelectricalconnections,gasflamesorothersourcesofignition.

• Neveruseaflametodetectflammablegasleaks.Usesoapywater.• Donotstorereservestocksofcylinderscontainingflammablegaseswithcylinderscontaining

oxygen.Theyshouldbesegregated.Insideofbuildings,storedoxygenandfuelgascylindersaretobeseparatedbyaminimumof20feet,orafire-resistivepartitionistobeplacedbetweentheoxygenandfuelgascylinders.ThisisinaccordancewithNFPAStandardNo.51."GasSystemsforWeldingandCutting.”

Poisongases

• Personnelhandlingandusingpoisongasesaretohaveavailableforimmediateusegasmasksorself-containedbreathingapparatusofadesignapprovedbyU.S.BureauofMinesforthe

particularservicedesired.Suchequipmentistobelocatedconvenienttotheplaceofwork,butkeptoutoftheareamostlikelytobecontaminated.

• Poisongasesaretobeusedonlyinforcedventilationareasor,preferably,inhoodswithforcedventilationorout-of-doors.Poisongasesemittedfromequipmentinhighconcentrationaretobedischargedintoappropriatescrubbingequipmentwhichwillremoveitfromeffluentstreams.

• Beforeusing,readalllabelinformationanddatasheetsassociatedwiththeuseoftheparticularpoisongas.

• Usepoisongasesincylindersizesthatwillinsurecompleteusageofthecylindercontentinareasonableamountoftime.

• TheInterstateCommerceCommissionrequiresthatcontainerschargedwiththefollowingmaterialswhenofferedfortransportationbearthepoisongaslabelandbesubjecttoallotherregulationsprescribedbytheICCforsuchmaterials:

Ø BromoacetoneØ CyanogenØ CyanogenChloride(Containinglessthan0.9%water)Ø DiphosgeneØ EthyldichloroarsineØ HydrocyanicAcidØ LewisiteØ MethyldichloroarsineØ MustardGasØ NitricOxideØ NitrogenPeroxide(NitrogenTetroxide)Ø PhenylcarbylamineChlorideØ Phosgene

• Becauseofthehazardousnatureofpoisongases,personshandlingsuchgasesareadvisedto

contactthesupplierformorecompleteinformation.

Pressurizedliquidoxygen,nitrogen,andargon

• ICCspecificationcylinderscontainingpressurizedliquidoxygen,nitrogenorargonmustbetransported,stored,andusedinanuprightposition.Thesematerialsaremaintainedatextremelylowtemperatures,andcylindersmustbekeptuprighttopermitventingofvaporperiodicallytomaintainsafeinternalpressures.

• Personshandlingthesepressurizedliquidsareadvisedtocontactthesupplierformorecompletehandlinginformation.