Safe Storage and Transport of O2 Cylinders

[openmindOW]

There have been a few tragic incidents in the last 12 months caused by the storage and transport of pressure vessels (i.e. cylinders) containing 100% oxygen. A number of divers on SB store 02 in their homes and/or transport O2 bottles.

Personally, I store O2 cylinders in my garage. The O2 is used for teaching Rescue classes. I also transport O2 in my SUV when I teach.

Does anyone here on SB have recommendations for the safe storage and transport of O2 cylinders?

 

[Wookie]

First off, store them upright (Not actually critical for Oxygen as it is for acetylene, but it will prevent you from stubbing your toe on the valve and rolling it on) and secured. The welding supply houses sell cylinder storage racks for strapping a cylinder to the wall for cheap.

Second, check them when you place them in a vehicle. If you detect a hiss, try to shut the valve tighter. If that doesn't work, let it bleed down and service the valve.

Third, secure them in the vehicle so they don't roll around. I don't mean place soft weights under them, I mean secure them so if some fool in a pickup rearends you, the bottles don't go slamming around.

Remember, welders and weld shops have many tens of O2 bottles in use every day. Some basic safety precautions go a long way. If you're storing E cylinders, any medical supply house will sell you a rack to store them upright in. I'll bet you could mount such a rack to a piece of plywood that fits the bed of your SUV when transporting cylinders.

I would hesitate to fill my E cylinders in an enclosed space. I do it outside in the air.

Last, why use real O2 for teaching rescue class? There is no reason not to use air in those cylinders. Plainly mark them "for training only, contains air" and get them filled at the LDS. A fill adapter is easy to come by and only costs about 20 bucks, about the cost of a O2 fill.

 

[Hatul]

The underlying problem is the scuba cylinder with it's handle valve was designed for air not for carrying oxygen.

The oxygen cylinder we have at the hospital has a small metal valve coming out the top not side and is opened with a special wrench. It's highly unlikely for this design to open by accident. Then over that is another valve-- the flow regulator, which is also normally turned off. Also the pressure in a standard hospital E cylinder is much lower -- 2000 psi when full.