Compressed Air Safety Procedures

Compressed air is a very important part of many industrial workshops and work sites and while it may seem harmless, it is important to follow correct compressed air safety procedures to ensure that nobody gets injured while in the work place. In the following article we will do a brief overview of compressed air safety procedures in general and during transportation of the cylinders.

Air Cylinder Transportation

Transportation of compressed air cylinders is heavily regulated by a number of governments worldwide and various levels of testing are required by governing bodies particular to the country the cylinders are being transported in. Countries included in this list are United States, which uses the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) authority and Canada, whose authority is entitled Transport Canada (TC).

Compressed Air Information

Individual cylinders may include specific compressed air information and requirements on design and or performance from independent testing agencies such as Underwriter's Laboratory (UL). Compressed air information that is usually indelibly marked on all gas cylinders include:

  • The type of cylinder

  • The working or service pressure
  • The serial number
  • Date of manufacture
  • The manufacturer's registered code and sometimes the test pressure

Other information may also be stamped depending on the regulation requirements. Each manufacturer of high pressure cylinders is required to have independent quality agent that will inspect the product for quality and safety. Hydrostatic pressure testing usually plays a part in the inspection procedure.

The Necessary Safety Procedures

Although, as previously stated, compressed air cylinders are safe to use when handled correctly, there is still a prevalence of compressed gas cylinder accidents worldwide and following are some generic safety procedures which can be implemented.

1. With specific focus on the equipment.

  • First and foremost, all pipes, hoses, and fittings must have a rating of the maximum pressure of the compressor.
  • Compressed air pipelines should be identified (psi) as to maximum working pressure.
  • During a high risk situation, it is important to be able to shut down the air supply and thus the valve controlling the air supply should be placed as close as possible to the point-of-operation.
  • Equipment like air hoses should be cleaned and maintained regularly to guard against the possibility of deterioration and hoses should be hung overhead, or placed out of harm's way to ensure that personnel don't trip over them.
  • Hoses should also be tightly secured to guard against whipping during a cut or break.
  • Before a pneumatic tool is disconnected (unless it has quick disconnect plugs), the air supply must be turned off at the control valve and the tool bleed.
  • Shop air used for cleaning should be regulated to 15 psi unless equipped with diffuser nozzles to provide less pressure.
  • Static electricity can be generated through the use of pneumatic tools.
  • This type of equipment must be grounded or bonded if it is used where fuel, flammable vapours or explosive atmospheres are present.

2. With specific focus on the personnel handling the equipment:

  • Ordinary guns that are dangerous, pneumatic impact tools, such as riveting guns, should never be pointed at a person
  • Goggles, face shields or other eye protection must be worn by personnel using compressed air for cleaning equipment
  • Compressed air is not a cleaning mechanism and under no circumstances should it be used to clean ANYTHING on a human being like clothes, shoes or skin.

Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety

Of course, none of the compressed air safety techniques listed will be at all helpful if the gas cylinders in question are faulty. To that end, there are a variety of tests that may be performed on various cylinders to ensure compressed gas cylinder safety. Some of these tests most commonly include:

  • The hydrostatic test
  • The burst test
  • The tensile strength test
  • The Charpy impact test
  • The pressure cycling test