• Special storage, use, and handling precautions are necessary when dealing with compressed gases because of the chemical and physical hazards they pose.
• Employers that deal with compressed gases are required to become familiar with necessary safe practices and ensure all employees are properly trained and prepared, plus more.
• OSHA’s requirements for compressed gases apply to any employer whose facility has regulated compressed gases.

Compressed gases are a pressurized material or mixture in a cylinder, portable tank, or standing tank used in a variety of applications, including welding, refrigeration, heating, surgery, etc.

Hazards associated with compressed gases include oxygen displacement, fires, explosions, and toxic gas exposures, as well as the physical hazards associated with high pressure systems. Special storage, use, and handling precautions are necessary in order to control these hazards. Where do the regulations apply?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) requirements for compressed gases apply to any employer whose facility has regulated compressed gases. Regulatory information for compressed gases can be found under 29 CFR 1910.101.

Related regulations include:

• 29 CFR 1910.102 — Acetylene
• 29 CFR 1910.103 — Hydrogen
• 29 CFR 1910.104 — Oxygen
• 29 CFR 1910.105 — Nitrous Oxide
• 29 CFR 1910.110 — Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases
• 29 CFR 1910.111 — Storage and Handling of Anhydrous Ammonia
• 29 CFR 1910.134 — Personal Protective Equipment
• 29 CFR 1910.169 — Air Receivers
• 29 CFR 1910.253 — Oxygen-fuel Gas Welding and Cutting
• 42 CFR 84 — Approval of Respiratory Protective Devices

What is required in the workplace?

Employers must:

• Determine if the workplace uses compressed gases;
• Become familiar with safe handling, use, and storage practices.
  • Pamphlets from the Compressed Gas Association are the primary guidance for compressed gas safety.
• Ensure all cylinders are inspected before use;
  • OSHA requires that employers inspect cylinders to determine if they are in a safe condition to the extent that it can be determined by visual inspection.
• Ensure only trained, authorized workers use compressed gases;
• Ensure only trained, authorized personnel conduct maintenance on a cylinder;
• Ensure labels and markings are present and not defaced;
  • Do not accept or use containers whose content labels are not legible. Segregate these containers and return them to the supplier.
• Ensure workers use safe handling, use, and storage practices;
• Train workers to report leaks immediately and follow proper safety procedures;
• Designate storage areas for various gases with adequate spacing or segregation by partitioning so that containers can be grouped by hazard;
• Prevent temperatures in the storage area from exceeding 125 °F;
• Separate cylinder storage from combustibles as specified by federal, state, and local regulations;
• Protect containers from cuts, punctures, or other abrasions of the metal, and keep heavy objects from striking or falling on them;
• Store containers away from walkways, elevators, stairs, and unprotected platform edges;
• Prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the cylinders; and
• Only move compressed gas cylinders with a protective cap in place, unless the cylinder is mounted on a special truck and the cylinder is moved in an erect or nearly erect position.