Q&A: What barriers are required for the storage of compressed gas cylinders of oxygen and fuel gas?

What barriers are required for the storage of compressed gas cylinders of oxygen and fuel gas?

The federal regulations on compressed gas safety for general industry workers are found at 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.101. This standard requires employers to handle, store, and use compressed gas cylinders in accordance with Compressed Gas Association Pamphlet (CGA) P-1-1965, which is incorporated by reference into the standard. CGA P-1-1965 states that flammable gases must be separated from oxidizing gases such as oxygen. Inside of buildings, stored reserve stocks of oxygen and fuel gas cylinders should be separated by a minimum of 20 feet, or there should be a fire-resistant barrier between the cylinders made of noncombustible material at least 5 feet high with a ½ hour fire rating, in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard No. 51 – Gas Systems for Welding and Cutting. NFPA 51 states that fire-resistant barriers used to separate fuel gas and oxygen cylinders must interrupt the line of sight between the fuel gas cylinders and the oxygen cylinders.

However, NFPA 51 does allow for one fuel gas cylinder and one oxygen cylinder to be kept together on a cart without needing to be separated by a fire-resistant barrier, as long as the cylinders are connected to regulators, ready for service, equipped with apparatus designed for cutting or welding, and the following conditions are also met:

• Carts must be kept away from the cutting or welding operations or separated by fire-resistant shields.
• Cylinders must be secured to the cart to resist movement.
• Carts must be an approved type and designed to secure and move the cylinders attached to them.
• Cylinder valves without fixed hand wheels must have keys, handles, or nonadjustable wrenches on valve stems while the cylinders are in service.
• Cylinder valve outlet connections must comply with the American-Canadian Standard CGA V-1.
• Cylinder valves must be closed when work is finished.
• Cylinder valves must be closed before moving the cart.

NFPA 51 defines the term “cylinder storage” as cylinders of compressed gas standing by on the site, not including those in use or attached and ready for use. Therefore, a single fuel gas cylinder and a single oxygen cylinder kept on a cart in accordance with the above conditions would be considered ready for use and not stored.

In addition to following the requirements associated with OSHA’s compressed gas standard, it would also be advisable to determine if there are any applicable local regulations that include requirements for storing compressed gas cylinders.

What is EHS Hotline?

Subscribers of EHS Hero® get access to our team of in-house subject matter experts. EHS Hotline allows subscribers to submit questions and receive timely, thorough, and plain-language answers from our team of experts—complete with resources and references.

The purpose of EHS Hotline is to help connect workplace employment, safety, and environment questions to the material provided by BLR on its subscriber websites. While the service is defined as providing advice, it is assistance to help bridge the gap between the BLR compliance resources and our client’s workplace issues. It is not a legal opinion or replacement for seeking legal counsel.