Category: Gas Safety
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Why Is Dry Ice Called Dry Ice?
A question that we frequently get asked is: Why is dry ice called dry ice? At normal temperature and pressure, carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas. When cooled, CO2 solidifies at -78 degrees C and is known as solid CO2 […]
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Are Your Operators Lighting Oxy-Fuel Gas Systems Correctly?
In fabrication workshops the length and breadth of the UK we frequently find time-served operators who have not been trained how to correctly light oxy-fuel gas systems and who use either the wrong spark lighter or a naked flame (cigarette […]
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Why Oxygen Depletion Is Such a Serious Hazard
It goes without saying that oxygen is the only component of the air we breathe that is capable of supporting life. Air is composed of approximately 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen and other trace gases. Asphyxiation is the greatest hazard associated […]
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Why Risk Assessments for Compressed Gases Require Specialist Knowledge
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations place a legal requirement to undertake a risk assessment prior to undertaking a work activity. Risk management is a step-by-step process for controlling health and safety risks caused by hazards in the workplace. […]
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Gas Cylinder Fire Safety: Are You Prepared
During our training workshops and when we undertake site surveys, we always ask delegates if they have evacuation procedures if a fire is discovered on site. They always do. We then ask where the fire evacuation muster points are located. […]
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How Do You Identify the Contents of a Gas Cylinder?
A question we always ask on our gas safety workshops is: “How do you identify what type of gas is inside a cylinder?” After a roll of the eyes from most staff and the thought “that’s an easy question”, they almost always […]
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Moving Gas Cylinders Safely: Manual Handling Guidance
Gas cylinders are big, heavy and relatively unstable. They are 5 feet tall, stand on a ten inch diameter base and weigh 90 kg. They are basically a very heavy pencil stood on its end. The bywords when moving gas […]
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Liquid Withdrawal Devices: Safer Handling of Liquid Nitrogen
We frequently visit clients who simply decant (pour) liquid nitrogen from a 25 litre dewar into a smaller working flask by manually tipping the dewar and (hopefully) aiming the liquid into the flask which they have placed on the floor. […]
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Cylinder Test Rings: What They Mean and Why They Matter
What are the plastic rings on the top of a gas cylinder? A question we are often asked, these are called Cylinder Test Rings. They tell the gas company when a cylinder is next due to be taken out of […]
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Fitting the Correct Regulator
A pressure regulator is a key piece of gas control equipment (fitted to the outlet of the gas cylinder valve or manifold). It reduces the high pressure of the gas from the cylinder pressure to the lower pressure or flow […]
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Safe Systems of Work
Many companies have risk assessments covering the handling, storage and use of gases within their organisation. It is a legal requirement to do so and it’s the first port of call when an incident occurs, but is it enough? Even […]
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Site Safety Surveys
Keeping Your Site Safe and Compliant Doesn’t Have to be Complicated What is a site safety survey? Our site safety surveys are a comprehensive assessment of the storage, handling and use of compressed or liquefied gases on your site(s). They […]
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6 Common Errors When Decanting Liquid Nitrogen
There are many safety errors operators can make when decanting liquid nitrogen. Here are the 6 most common errors that we see: 1. Not following an approved standard operating procedure A standard operating procedure (sometimes called a method statement or […]
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Company Fined After an Explosion Seriously Injured Two Employees
The Health and Safety Executive have recently reported that a company which produces electricity from food waste by anaerobic digestion, has been fined more than £300,000 after an explosion caused two employees to suffer life changing injuries. What Is Anaerobic […]
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Cryogenic Personal Protective Equipment
We’re frequently asked about the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) that’s required to be worn by operators who are either handling, storing or using liquid nitrogen. Our first response is – ‘have you done a risk assessment?’ Key Takeaways A […]
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Hot Work Training
What is Hot Work? Hot work refers to any activity or process that generates a source of ignition, whether through a flame, heat or a spark. This can be: Direct hot work – where equipment or tool creates a flame […]
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8 Most Common Safety Issues When Using Gas Regulators
Regulators are an essential piece of gas control equipment. Fitted to the outlet of the gas cylinder valve or bundle output valve, the pressure regulator reduces the pressure of the gas from the cylinder, to the lower pressure required for […]
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Safety With Piped Systems
In a wide variety of applications gases from cylinders or insulated liquid tanks are piped, via static systems, to the point(s) of use. From a safety perspective this can eliminate cylinders in a populated workspace, avoid the requirement for difficult cylinder […]
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Inhaling Helium Balloon Gas: A Christmas Warning
It’s party season and no doubt, because people have seen it on TV and because individuals get a high-pitched squeaky voice, balloon gas (impure helium) will be inhaled from balloons. While the inhalation of helium and other gases is often […]
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Competency When Working With Gases
When we ask clients what they wish to achieve through our gas training workshops, the reply that we often receive is: We want staff to be competent when working with gases. However, across industry, confusion often exists between the concepts […]
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Blended Learning
Blended learning is becoming increasingly popular in the modern working environment as it provides additional flexibility. We offer a range of practical workshops that are delivered at customers’ sites, following initial theory training that is undertaken online. Our range of […]
