Q3 2009 / Unsecured cylinders are an easy OSHA target
Frank Scornavacca
President
SGD, Inc.
frank@sgd.com
The easiest and most common violation for an
OSHA inspector is the unsecured compressed gas cylinder. Issuing a cita-tion
for an unsecured cylinder is a slam-dunk for even the most novice inspector
because it requires no technical expertise. Considering all of the devices
available for securing cylinders, your customers should never be caught
violating this most basic of safety rules. All compressed gas cylin-ders,
whether in storage or in use, must be secured to ensure that they will not be
toppled if bumped. Cylinders in storage must have their valve protection cap on
securely as well.
A look at the various cylinder securing
devices will help you comply with these regulations and their recommended
ap-plications.
Single Cylinder Wall and Bench Mount Cylinder Holders
The most common and economic cyl-inder
securing devices are the wall and bench type cylinder holders, such as those
shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. The wall mount unit can be attached to a wall
singly or in a row – one next to each other. They are commonly arrayed in this
manner when used to secure cylinders associated with a single-row manifold or
back-to-back on a stanchion supporting a double row manifold.
The bench mount cylinder holder is a
convenient alternative when a wall is not available. Of course, one must be
certain that the table or lab bench is secure enough to hold the cylinder. The
unit pictured here has a no-mar foot that retains the holder securely to the
bench.
Both the wall mount and bench mount are
normally supplied with a nylon or polypropylene strap. These units can be
fitted with chains to meet the requirements of some code officials who believe
that the chains are safer in the event that the cyl-inders should catch fire.
Since the chains cannot be adjusted to fit tightly around the cylinder,
customers who are required to have chains often order the holders with both
chains and straps. This combination provides the intended safety of the chain
while allowing the cylinder to be secured tightly in the holder.
Storing Cylinders Without a Wall or Bench
If cylinders must be stored away from a bench
or wall, or if there are a large number of cylinders to be stored, there are a
variety of securing devices. The cylinder storage racks pictured in Figure 3
are typical de-vices for storing cylinders when there is no wall or bench, or
where space is at a premium and cylinders must be stored in multiple rows.
To ensure security, the rack is bolted to the floor. These racks come in a number of standard configurations, from one-wide by one-deep to three-wide by three-deep. They have either one or two chains to secure each cylinder. Custom units that accommodate more cylinders are available. Cylinder racks are good storage units but generally are not suitable for process applications.
The cylinder floor stand shown in Figure 4 is
another alternative to securing cylinders on the shop or lab floor. Gener-ally,
these floor stands are available in two- and three-cylinder models. They use
straps to secure the cylinders, but can also be fitted with chains. Again,
these units must be bolted to the floor to provide the topple protection
required.
While floor stands offer topple pro-tection, they
are not useful for holding cylinders that are going to be used to feed a
process or instrument unless they are single-cylinder applications that require
only a pressure regulator. The “gas station” process stand in Figure 5 offers
the topple protection of the floor stand, along with a convenient panel that
holds gas controls, such as protocol stations or changeover manifolds. The
process stand is available in two- and three-cylinder varieties as shown, or a
four-cylinder version with two cylinders in the front and two in the back.
Small Cylinder Security
Small cylinders and lecture bottles pres-ent
their own special security problem. It is difficult to make them totally
topple-free, but a variety of devices, designed to increase their stability
while in use, are available.
The small cylinder stand in Figure 6 is useful
for cylinders with diameters from 4” to 7-3/8”.
The non-tip stand in Figure 7 is available for
the 3-1/4” aluminum cylinders often used for environmental calibration gases.
Lecture bottles, which have rounded ends, can be secured using the non-tip stand or the wall-mount bracket shown in Figure 8.
Summary
Whether in storage or in use, all cylin-ders
must be secured to prevent toppling. The fines for being cited for having
unse-cured cylinders far outweigh the cost of providing and installing the
proper holding devices. It is especially foolish since once being cited you
will have to pay the fines, as well as the cost of the securing devices for the
cylinders.
Do not get caught holding the citation instead of the cylinder!
Frank
Scornavacca
Frank Scornavacca is president of SGD, Inc., a single-source, full-line wholesale specialty gas distributor with a unique support program. He can be reached at: frank@sgd.com
