Cylinder safety a hot issue this summer, says BOC

Cylinder safety is a hot issue again this summer according to BOC. As the weather warms up, everyone from home users to hospitality staff, DIYers and dedicated professionals traditionally increase their use of compressed gases.

BOC’s head of Safety, Health, Environment & Quality (SHEQ), Paul Stathers, said summer signals an important time for gas users to sharpen their focus on safety protocols, particularly with the use of compressed gas cylinders.

“With more daylight and better weather conditions, summer can be a period of increased activity for DIYers, the hospitality industry, maintenance workers, manufacturers and more, all of whom use gases from compressed cylinders,’’ Stathers said.

“Use of the product also rises for leisure applications such as outdoor cooking, camping and caravanning, so it is critical everybody is aware of the correct guidelines for gas cylinder safety,’’ he said.

Stathers said it was crucial that users were educated about the types of compressed cylinder gases such as oxidising gas, flammable gas, toxic gas and non-flammable, non-toxic gas.

“These gases come with distinctive diamond-shaped labels which is the primary means of identifying the contents and the nature of any associated hazards, as well as dedicated cylinder colours, which is the secondary method of identification.

“It is vital that users do not use a gas cylinder if the label is missing or illegible or if the heat tag has been damaged,’’ Stathers said.

The company has just released ‘Guidelines for Gas Cylinder Safety’, a comprehensive safety document which not only provides information on label identification but other important information including guidance on the safe storage, handling and distribution of gas cylinders. There is information on correct cylinder storage and handling, advice on safe cylinder transportation, care of associated equipment as well as incident response.

The guidelines are available for download online or by contacting the BOC customer service centre on 131 262.