Storing Compressed Gas Cylinders

Every cylinder in storage should be:

• Upright and secured — chained, strapped, or racked so it can't tip or fall.
• Capped — valve protection cap in place on any cylinder not connected for use.
• Valve closed — even on "empty" cylinders, to keep contaminants and moisture out.
• In a dry, well-ventilated area, out of walkways, stairwells, and exits.
• Away from heat sources and kept below about 125°F — not against a heater or baking in direct sun.
• Separated into full and empty groups so crews grab the right one and rotate stock.

Oxidizers and flammables don't get stored together. Oxygen cylinders in storage are kept away from fuel-gas cylinders and combustible materials — especially oil and grease — by at least 20 feet, or separated by a noncombustible barrier at least 5 feet high with a half-hour fire rating.

The reason is simple: an oxygen leak next to a fuel leak, or next to something that burns, is a fire waiting for an ignition source. Keep flammable gases away from oxidizers, and keep both away from ignition sources and corrosives.

Store cylinders where any leak can disperse. Inert gases like nitrogen, argon, and CO₂ have no smell and no color — a leak in a closed room quietly pushes the oxygen out, and someone walking in can pass out before they realize anything's wrong.

That's why ventilation isn't optional for a cylinder store, and why you never stage cylinders in a confined or unventilated space. If you suspect a leak, ventilate the area, keep people out, and shut the valve if you can reach it safely.