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handling-and-storage-of-high-pressure-gas-cylinders
handling-and-storage-of-high-pressure-gas-cylinders

Handling and Storage of High Pressure Gas Cylinders

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High pressure gas and portable cryogenic liquid cylinders present hazards in numerous areas. For many gases there are hazards associated with chemical composition of the gases in the cylinder. Then there are the physical hazards associated with high pressure and liquid cylinders due to their size and weight. It is important to note some of the key safety program requirements when handling high pressure and liquid cryogenic cylinders.

Manually Handling Cylinders

Cylinders, either full or empty, can be big, heavy, and hard to move safely. Over the last twenty years the practice of moving cylinders by manually rolling them has been all but abandoned. Today, large cylinders are moved by pallet systems and forklift trucks. Gone are the days when employees manually rolled cylinders two, or even four at a time around the plant. Moving to palletized systems has facilitated big improvements in productivity, and has also reduced the risk of injury associated with the manual handling of cylinders.

While improvments have been made to large cylinder handling practices, significant manual handling is still involved with smaller cylinders. Some elements of the industry are moving away from the traditional methods of hand rolling cylinders in favor of using cylinder carts, however, smaller firms tend to stick with time proven methods even though these methods might not be best for employees. Rolling cylinders exposes employees to trauma type injuries and can unnecessarily expose employees to such musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) as carpal tunnel syndrome and low back pain. The healthcare and insurance costs that firms are subjected to are a key financial reason to investigate other methods of cylinder handling that do not have the same level of personal injury exposure as manual handling.

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