What are some good housekeeping rules for working with compressed gas cylinders?
Maintain good housekeeping at all times in the workplace: • Never hang clothes or equipment over a compressed gas cylinder.* • Never use oxygen or even compressed air to remove dust from clothing or equipment. • Promptly remove combustible wastes including wood, paper or rags, from the work area. • Properly and promptly dispose of “empty” or unlabelled cylinders. *Note: Hanging things over a cylinder makes it harder to operate the valve. In addition, clothing may become saturated with a hazardous gas. Clothing saturated with either an oxidizing gas or flammable gas will catch on fire easily and burn intensely. Hang clothes that are even partly saturated with an oxidizing gas or fuel gas in a well-ventilated area for at least 15 minutes to remove trapped gas. Why is personal cleanliness important? Personal cleanliness helps protect people working with hazardous materials: • Wash hands before eating, drinking, smoking or going to the toilet. • Remove contaminated clothing since it may be
