Cylinders can be many different shapes and sizes and all cylinders have the potential to cause injury and damage if stored incorrectly. In addition, certain products (in particular oxygen and acetylene) should not be stored next to each other for safety reasons.
Please read guidelines for storing cylinders safely. For further advice and information, contact Air Products.
Whenever you are carrying cylinders, please follow these simple but important guidelines:
Please read our safety datasheet 'General Cylinder Handling'.
Cylinders are very heavy and travel at the same speed as your vehicle. However, unlike your vehicle, they are not fitted with any brakes and unless they are adequately secured they can move forward under braking and cause severe damage.
There are some basic safety rules to follow:
To get further information about the loading, unloading, collecting and transportation of gas cylinders, please take a look at the guide 'Safe Transport of Gas' guide provided by European Industrial Gas Association (EIGA).
Since January 1, 2007, there is a requirement for the driver of any type of vehicle, not only for those above 3.5 tonnes, carrying dangerous goods in excess of the threshold limits to be in possession of a vocational training certificate, or ADR Licence as it is better known.
If you wish to benefit from the exemption of some of the requirements of the ADR regulations (such as the obligation to have orange plates, high visibility vests and wheel chocks), you need to understand the 1000 points rule and the limited quantity thresholds. The full ADR regulations only apply if your cylinder load exceeds this quantity threshold.
Please download our guide on ADR and the 1000 point rule.
When you handle cylinders we strongly recommend that you wear
For cutting and welding operations you should use
Oil and grease are substances that are strictly forbidden in the gas industry as they may react when in contact with some gases like oxygen. Oxygen and other oxidant gases can react violently and produce a fire or an explosion when in contact with oils or grease. So lubrication of cylinders/packs is not allowed, in order to prevent highly risk potential accidents.
Air Products employees are trained on the incompatibility of oil or grease and other substances with the gases we produce.
When dealing with cylinders in fires you should in all cases:
Do not approach cylinders that are involved in the fire until you have been advised by the emergency services that it is safe to do so.
To find the optimum gas mixture for your welding process use our Gas Selector tool on the Welding and Cutting page.
Use our Freshline® MAP Gas Selector on the MAP page to identify the ideal gas mixture for your food product.
Use our Balloonium® calculator on the Parties or Events page to identify the right cylinder for your needs.
