Compressed Gas Cylinder Hazards

Cylinders bring several distinct dangers at once:

• Stored pressure — a broken valve turns the cylinder into a projectile.
• The gas itself — inert gases (nitrogen, argon, CO₂) displace oxygen and can suffocate you in an enclosed space with no warning; fuel gases are flammable; oxygen makes everything burn harder.
• Weight — a full cylinder is heavy and top-heavy, easy to drop on a foot or a hand.
• Heat — a cylinder heated by fire or the sun can over-pressurize and rupture.

The specific gas decides the specific danger, so know what's in the bottle before you handle it.

Most cylinder injuries trace back to a few skipped basics:

• Keep the valve protection cap on whenever the cylinder isn't connected and in use — the cap protects the one vulnerable part.
• Keep cylinders secured and upright so they can't fall.
• Never drop, drag, or roll a cylinder on its side carelessly, and never strike an arc on one.
• Keep cylinders away from heat, sparks, slag, and electrical circuits.
• Only use cylinders labeled for their contents — never rely on color alone, and never use an unmarked cylinder.

Oxygen and fuel-gas cylinders for cutting and welding follow these same rules plus extra ones — the 20-foot oxygen-to-fuel separation, the acetylene pressure limit, flashback protection, and regulator handling. Those specifics are covered under Welding and Hot Work.

This category covers compressed gas cylinders generally and the air-powered tools that run off them. If you're on a torch, pair this with the welding cylinder topics; the fundamentals here apply either way.