Gas cylinders

Like other chemicals, gases must be registered in the KLARA chemical register (for more information see under the heading Chemical safety/KLARA chemical database). 

The activity must have operating and maintenance procedures in place which include instructions pertaining to gas cylinder change, maintenance and/or inspection of gas regulators, connections to equipment, etc. The gas line system must be inspected annually.

Gas cylinders must, as far as possible, be stored in designated gas storage rooms. Non-flammable and flammable gases must be stored in different storage rooms. In rooms where work is carried out, only the number of gas cylinders required for the job at hand may be present. To prevent the risk of falling or tipping, gas cylinders must be firmly secured, for example by means of a wall bracket, gas trolley or other suitable device, and must always stand upright. Cylinders must be secured in such a way that they can easily be removed without the use of tools and moved to a safe location in the event of fire. If the gas cylinders are connected to equipment and therefore time-consuming to disconnect, the rescue service must be informed of this.

Cylinders must be moved and transported on trolleys designated for this purpose, all transport of gas bottles both empty and filled is counted as transport of dangerous goods. Small, loose containers must be handled and placed safely. The main tap on the gas cylinder must be closed when the gas is not on use. If the gas cylinder contains flammable gas, there is a risk of flammable gas forming in the event of leakage. In this regard, special care must be taken to eliminate ignition sources.

A warning sign for gas cylinders (CLP hazard pictogram: black symbol against white background with red frame displaying the text “gas under pressure”) must be displayed on the gas cylinder, on the door to the room/cabinet where gas cylinders are stored, as well as on the door to the area (e.g. corridor, fire compartment) where the cylinders are located. Gas pipes must be marked in each room.