Distance Between Fuel & Oxygen Cylinder While Storage, Transportation & Use

Dear All



As per ANSI Z49.1:2005 Oxygen Gas Cylinder in Storage Shall be kept with a safe distance of 6.1meters from combustable gas cylinders.



As per Gas Cylinder Rules 2004, Chapter 2, General Provisions, Section 21:Storage of cylinders: Cylinders containing flammable gases and toxic gases shall be kept separated from each other and from cylinders containing other types of gases by an adequate distance or by a suitable partition wall.



Gas Cylinder Rules 2004 is not specifying how much distance and both the above is related to storage of gas cylinders only.



No my question is:



1. What should be the safe distance between fuel & Oxygen while storage as per statues in India? Which is the latest applicable Act/Rule in India regarding the same?



2. What should be the safe distance while transporting fuel & Oxygen as per statues in India? Transporting in same trolley is safe or not?



3. What should be the safe distance between fuel & Oxygen while in use as per statues in India?



Request to put some lights into the topic. If you are not having updates of Indian Statues, please let me know the same as per any other legalization.

Dear All ,
Pl. come up with suggestion for the above with the help of Seniors who are familier with rules & regulations .
Regards,
Abhay

I am attaching h/w NFPA - 55 which I received from a friend.
The requirements related to distance to be observed between various type of gases is mentioned on Page No. 9 (Table 2-1.5)

1.While storage 10 feet distance shall be practically maintained between fuel and Oxygen cylinders.

2. NEVER KEEP FUEL & OXYGEN IN THE SAME VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORTATION. So no question of safe distance arises. It is not safe to transfer fuel & Oxygen cylinders in the same trolley. Trolley designed for two cylinders shall be used to keep both the Oxygen & Fuel cylinders upright, held with chain while in use.

3. No specific distance is mentioned in statues while in use. Other precautionary measures like leaks around the valve stem, leaks from regulator, fuse plug,providing hoods over the cylinder to prevent fall of hot spatters etc.shall be ensured as better prevention.
RAVINATH

Dear All
Good Afternoon to all of you. I joined this site day before yesterday.
Ravinath you are very much right. I can't understand for what purpose he wants to know about that, kindly clear the purpose.
Regards
Yadvinder Sharma

@PTRC

Dear Sir

Thanks for providing me the NFPA 55 standard... The table 2-1.5 is basically for Toxic Gases, if I understood rightly wheras in our case both LPG and Oxygen are not toxic... However this document also clearly mentioning about a distance of 6.1m...

@Ravinath

Thanks for your inputs into the thread. I just want to know whether this 3meter distance is safe while storage where all the document is saying safe disatance to be maintained is 6.1m.. This you say in view of practicallity only na... Please have a look into the trolley in the attached file and give your suggestion... Whether this transportaion is safe... Somethime keepin both cylinder in this same trolley and using at site...

@Yadvinder Sharma

First of all warm welcome to the forum.. Hope we will get a lot to learn from yourside...

Now my purpose is that I have raise objection against the existing practices going on in our plant regading the storage of cylinders... Its not in main storage, but in site wise storage... So the management is not convinced by my inputs.. So thought of study more about it before giving further proposal... So requesting you to please go through the attachment and give your valuable comments...

@ All: Please go throught the attachment and give value addition to the thread please...

@Abhay: Thanks for your inputs...

Thanks in advance to all...

Dear all,
I had also captured a wrong practice of handling & transporting of chlorine cylinders. Kindly comment on its hazards & corrective actions of transporting them.
Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Dear Hansa
As per my view, it's ok to transport the same in this bobcat... What missing is that it's not secured properly... If this cylinder by keeping in vertical and properly secured, I think no more issues...
Lets wait for experts advice... Hope to get reply's...

On 29-06-10 a news paper reported this case (clipping in my storage): In Bhayandar (East) in a welding unit in Kasturi Ind Estate Jagdish Sahani was rolling the cylinder by his leg when cylinder burst. His leg dismantled and was thrown 300 meter away. Police took 3 hrs to find the leg. His another leg was injured to an extent that it had to be amputated in the hospital. Have not seen follow up news on what happened next

Dear PTRC,
Such incident happened in our plant too.IP was rolling O2 cylinder & it brust & his leg torn into pieces.
Regards,
Hansa Vyas