Hazards and Types of Compressed Gas Cylinders

Compressed gas cylinder management is a constant concern for public agencies, dangerous waste generators, dangerous waste transporters, and Transportation, Storage, and Removal Facilities. Constant problems with detection of cylinders in household dangerous waste, household garbage, sites with large accumulations of cylinders of variable types with no labeling, damaged labeling, or wrong labeling makes problems for companies and agencies to correctly manage compressed gas cylinders. Compressed gas cylinders must be appropriately managed, even they are wastes. When the cylinders or the contents within them become wastes, then they come under possible regulation as dangerous waste, depending on the characteristics of the gases that are confined within them.

Types of Compressed Gas Cylinders:

In order to safely transport, stock, and operate chemicals with extremely reactive properties – such as impulsive ignition or the release of toxic gases upon connection with air – specialized cylinders that may not look like a traditional compressed gas cylinder are often applied. Some of the different types of physical containers that may cover highly dangerous gases. These contain the following types of compressed gas cylinders.

• Calibration compressed gas cylinders naturally contain compressed air,
• isobutylene and nitrogen.
• Lecture bottles basically contain a vast variety of gases that can be flammable, toxic or corrosive at high pressure.
• Aldrich Surface cylinders typically cover highly flammable, pyrophoric or otherwise reactive gases or liquefied gases at low pressure.
• Sample compressed gas cylinders are classically used for testing or product sample purposes.
• Stainless steel bubblers typically include reactive or extremely toxic liquids, are not evaluated for gases, and are often confused with compressed gas cylinders. They can include methyl mercury, butyl lithium, diethyl zinc and trimethyl aluminum.
• Gas purifiers and scrubbers used to clean gases typically can include solids such as lithium hydride or magnesium hydride, or residual volumes of arsine and phosphine.

Laboratory person should never attempt to operate a compressed gas cylinder if unaware with its operation until they are instructed by either their PI, or their designee. If support is essential for the dismantling of a piece of equipment with a compressed gas cylinder devoted to or contained.

Hazards of Compressed Gas Cylinders:

Hazards related with compressed gases can be accredited to the physical or chemical characteristics of the gases. Significantly, all compressed gas cylinders also pose physical risks due to the potential energy of the compressed insides. If the pressure in a compressed gas cylinder is released very fast due to inappropriate storage, handling, fire or valve damage, it may cause a compressed gas cylinder to become a projectile capable of penetrating a clinker block wall, or metal storage cabinet and harshly injuring people or property. Compressed gas cylinder safety training will help to gain knowledge and understanding of compressed gases used at workplaces and compressed gas cylinders which can cause many hazards to workers. Some compressed gases are flammable, cryogenic, reactive, toxic, corrosive, or asphyxiants, and some own all or a mixture of these dangerous properties as well as others. Some destructive gases with chlorine may form valve plugs if stored inappropriately, such as in areas of high moisture. As a result, laboratory person may believe the compressed gas cylinder to be empty when it is not, giving a pressurization hazard when trying to operate the valve.

Since several compressed gases can be flammable, smoking must never happen in or around flammable, cryogenic, oxidizing liquids or responsive gases where they are stored, handled, loaded/unloaded or near their related monitoring equipment or in any research laboratory. Also, flammable gases must always be stored away from oxidizing gases.