Are There Legal Restrictions on Placing Gas Cylinders at Heights? Seeking Advice

Dear all, I have a situation on my site. For gas cutting at a height level (about 40 meters), the contractor used to keep the gas cylinders at ground level. Now, they have shifted the gas cylinders to the top to save hose. They have placed the cylinders in a cage. I have been consistently advising against keeping the gas cylinders at the top and insisting that they should be kept at ground level only.

Legal Requirements for Gas Cylinder Placement

I would like to know if there are any restrictions on keeping gas cylinders at the top while working. If there are any legal requirements, I can strongly enforce them.

Please share your experience/knowledge.

Thanks and regards, Vijay

As per my knowledge, there is no issue in keeping the cylinder on the top floors. The only thing you should ensure is the safe handling of cylinders to the top and back. Do not allow persons to lift it onto their shoulders, as this is a very common practice still in many Indian industries. Also, do not allow lifting the cylinders by holding the valve protection cap.

Safe mechanical arrangements should be ensured for shifting the cylinders to the top floors. If you can ensure this, there should be no issues.

Come up with more ideas about the scenario and how you are handling the cylinders on-site for our members to provide more comments.

I never heard it's an issue to keep cylinders on floors. Make sure they are not placed near any wall openings. As you mentioned, the cylinder bottles are now above 40 feet; I hope they were carried manually. In some cases, manual handling is allowed depending on the situation. If you need to carry cylinder bottles manually, you should use a protection cap 100%.

Take usual precautions for gas cutting. If you have any questions, let us know.

Note: Manual handling is only allowed where we can't move in and out with our trolley. At the time of manual handling, cylinder bottles should be protected by a valve protection cap.

Thanks for your guidelines. Keep in touch.

Regards.

Thank you for your suggestions. Herewith, I have attached the photo, which is self-explanatory for the situation.

Regards, Vijay

Mr. Dipil and Mr. Raghu have correctly answered your query. There is no such legal requirement; precautions are to be taken during handling. Looking at the photograph, maybe the rope tied within the MS cage to hold the cylinders looks to be worn out. You may think of replacing the same with a chain.

Mr. Dipil, Mr. Raghu, thank you very much.

Thanks & Regards,
Sudhir

As Mr. Sudhir has commented on your picture, I would like to add a few concerns about it:

- Cylinder valve key must be available near the cylinder bottle. Especially for those working in that area, they should be aware of emergency procedures for gas cutting; it is essential.
- There is no permanent platform for storing your cylinder bottle. It appears that you have placed a G.I sheet at the bottom, which needs to be replaced.
- I suggest using a chain to secure the cylinder bottles, especially when transporting them from the bottom to the top floor by crane. Proper tying is necessary. If you are using them on the ground floor, it is fine to secure them with a manila rope.
- Consider putting up some signboards if possible. This could also be a legal requirement.

Thank you for your input. Please continue to share your thoughts.

Mr. Vijay, if you have any construction-related questions, feel free to reach out to me anytime. I am here to help you with any construction matters.

I hope this helps!

Regards

Safety Measures for Gas Cylinders at Heights

There is no problem in carrying out the job at a 40-meter height. It is better from a safety point of view. However, you must ensure that the cylinder is not kept at the top after the completion of the job. While the job is in progress, it should be properly chained and kept away from the flame area, with no leakage from any source. Preferably, the cylinder should be in a vertical position with a good chaining arrangement.

If left unattended, there are chances of the cylinder falling down in case of a strong wind flow or due to some mistake.