Acetylene Storage – New Regulations

A substantial part of creating a safe environment for workers involves minimizing the chances that an employee’s surroundings will in some way contribute to or increase the risk of an accident occurring.  Risk managers must frequently engage in the evaluation of a facility’s design, particularly if it is often reconfigured in order to accommodate new projects, or if employees are often asked to move around the building or complex and perform their particular jobs in changing circumstances.

The storage of potentially hazardous materials falls under this type of risk mitigation.  Keeping workers safe from the dangers posed by certain types of chemicals, gases or other items means more than just restricting access.  It involves understanding the nature of the materials themselves, the situations in which they could possibly become harmful, and the regulatory statues that have been set up to reduce the chances of an accident occurring.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has recently published a Direct Final Rule regarding the acetylene industry that addresses outdated guidelines surrounding the use, storage and transportation of cylinders containing this volatile gas.  With an eye towards becoming law effective November 2009, the revised guidelines are meant to increase the safety of workers who regularly come into contact with acetylene.

The new rules make it clear that risk managers are expected to have their workplaces conform to the Compressed Gas Association Pamphlet G-1-2003, Acetylene.   A key proviso of this pamphlet changes the conditions in which acetylene cylinders can be stored.  Previously, it was not uncommon for cylinders to be transported from site to site in enclosed spaces, be they car trunks, sealed trucks or perhaps even in crates.  Facilities were also allowed to store acetylene cylinders in unventilated lockers, closets, drawers or small storage rooms.  These habits dated back to 1966, when acetylene storage guidelines were last updated.

This latter practice is no longer allowed, due to the explosion and fire danger posed by possible gas buildup from leaking cylinders.  In order to prevent this type of accident from occurring, a new requirement that acetylene cylinders be stored in well-ventilated lockers or cabinets has been put into place.  Examples of the acceptable type of cylinder storage units include Justrite aluminum cylinder lockers, which feature an open grille design and numerous configurations to allow for horizontal, vertical or combined storage.  The aluminum construction also makes the lockers resistant to corrosion, making them suitable for use on outdoor sites where theft of cylinders is a concern.

Fire-resistant safety cabinets are no longer appropriate for acetylene cylinder storage.  Although these units may seem to provide protection against possible explosion, their air-tight confines can actually contribute towards the buildup of dangerous escaped gas pressures, increasing risks despite their sturdy construction.  The volatility and instability of acetylene gas means that no chances should be taken during storage.  The updated OSHA guidelines should improve worker safety across a wide variety of industries, in particular those where large-scale welding is a common occurrence.