Gas Safety

• Gas Features
• Gas Risks
• Apparatus Safety
• Cylinder Safety
• REACH

Process Safety

• Material Process Fume
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Processes Safety
• Welding & Cutting Hazards

Workplace Safety

• Assessing Risks
• Avoiding Hazards
• Emergency Planning

Safety Services

• Safety Training Workshops
• On-line safety training modules
• On-Site Safety Checks
• Tradefile
• Safe Under Pressure

Safety Data Sheets

Emergency Procedure for Cylinders in Fire

Fires present urgent and serious risks to gas users. All gas cylinders, whatever their gas contents, are potentially dangerous when exposed to fire.  Cylinders subjected to the heat from a fire may in some circumstances rupture with explosive force and if they contain a fuel gas or oxygen they will cause the fire to burn more ferociously and may cause it to spread.  The force from cylinders' ruptures may create flying debris which may cause damage to property and injury to personnel.

Actions

1	2	3
Evacuate the area to a minimum of 200 metres from the cylinder	Call the fire brigade	Advise neighbours within the 200-metre evacuation area about the hazard
4	5	6
Inform BOC Industrial: call the Customer Service Centre on 0800 111 333	Cylinders that are not directly involved in the fire and have not become heated should be moved as quickly as possible to a safe place, provided this can be done without risk. Make sure the cylinder valves are closed.	When the fire brigade arrives, explain the location and number of gas cylinders directly involved in the fire and the names of the gases they contain. If the fire brigade doesn't have this information it can't enter your premises to deal with the situation

When the fire has been extinguished

Do not move or use cylinders that have been exposed to a fire until BOC has examined them.

Dissolved - acetylene (DA) cylinders

• Once the fire has been extinguished, dissolved acetylene cylinders still need to be cooled for a total of 24 hours
• The fire brigade will impose a cordon while the cylinder is cooled
• Ensure nobody tampers or interferes with the DA cylinder during this period. The fire brigade will inform you when it is safe to handle the cylinder.
• BOC will arrange for the collection of the DA cylinder after the 24-hour cooling period

Safety in the Workplace: The information contained herein is provided as a general outline and is not intended to be a definitive statement on the subject matter. Professional advice should be sought before any action is taken in relation to safety in the workplace.