Industrial gases of all sorts have played a role in engineering, cooking, farming, and entertainment in some way, shape, or form. It’s helped shape the world and technology in the way it is today and will do so much for the future. Carbon dioxide, helium, nitrogen, and propane are only a few to make mention of, and many industries use gas cylinders on a regular basis. With such heavy use of these gases, there are lots of things to be careful of when it comes to industrial gas safety. Everyone and anyone in range of a gas cylinder under operation needs to take something as basic as safety precautions and emergency situations seriously. There are dangers of not keeping an eye out for potential gas leaks and keeping track of how much gas is present using gas detectors. Any form of miscare could lead to some pretty bad side-effects. There are lots of side effects people can experience, depending on the gas, and it’s good to know what some of the more common ones are.
Oxygen Deprivation
When too much gas fills an enclosed space, it starts to displace oxygen. With less and less oxygen in the room, you’ll be experiencing gas poisoning. A variety of symptoms can arise when you’re hit with this form of poison. Asphyxiation, or oxygen deprivation, is one of them.
We humans are aerobic, which means oxygen is an absolute require to stay alive. Without it, you can be hit with the symptoms of asphyxiation. You can experience headaches, nausea, and if the situation isn’t handled after some time, suffocation. Most industrial gases have this side effect if they are mishandled. This can easily be avoided by making sure you keep the tank closed while it is either being stored indoors or is not being in use. Closing the regulator would be the proper procedure to keep from oxygen deprivation from happening.
Brain Injury
Oxygen displacement is to be expected when a gas tank is left leaking for prolonged periods of time. Anyone inside that room with oxygen slowly dissipating like that will experience oxygen deprivation. If, for whatever reason, the leak isn’t handled in time and you are still in the presence of the overabundance of gas, even while experiencing asphyxiation, you can experience brain injury.
You can survive without it, but only for about 3 or 4 minutes max. If you’re in a room with little oxygen to begin with, you’ll immediately experience the effects of oxygen deprivation. Blurred vision, tiredness, and confusion are some of the first symptoms to experience when you have brain damage. Some of the more serious symptoms include seizures, nausea, and loss of consciousness. Like oxygen deprivation, the leaking of most gases can lead to these serious after effects. Although, some of them have the potential to do more than take away your oxygen or hurt your brain.
Frostbite
Gas leaks aren’t the only thing that lead to injuries. Improperly handling gas tanks can lead to injury and damaged tanks. Depending on the gas, their expulsion in gaseous form can have different temperatures, usually in extreme. Frostbite is an injury to the body by exposure to extremely cold temperatures. They can create some nasty bumps to any body part the freezing cold is damaging. Depending on the severity of the freezing effects, the skin can darken the skin with black and blues and it can develop blood-clots and blisters, both of which damage blood vessels and negatively affect blood flow.
Nitrogen and dry ice are both capable of causing frostbite. Actually, any gas that’s naturally cryogenic can do this. Preventing gas leaks from happening can prevent frostbite. Though regardless, you want to keep the gas from having any contact with your skin, whether it’s in use or not.
Burn Damage
There are three levels of burn damage one can experience: 1st-degree burns, 2nd-degree burns, and 3rd degree burns. 1st-degree burns are minor burns. For example, getting sunburns, touching hot cooking pots, or scalding hot water. The skin usually reddens and gets dry and peelable. The pain tends to go away after about two or three days. A 2nd-degree burn causes the skin to get, swell, charred, and blister. Fires, wet heated substances (steam for example), and many chemicals are capable of this.
The final level of burn damage is, as you probably guessed already, a 3rd-degree burn. Take what a 2nd-degree burn would look like, and turn it all the way up to 10! They can get pretty nasty. It actually has the potential to kill nerve endings, so if you don’t feel anything on the affected area, that’s why.
The misuse of propane or LPG tanks can do this to you. they’re commonly used for grilling, generators, and furnaces. You know very well that with a gas like this being operated on heating related applications, you have to be extremely cautious with how you use it and how your handling and moving it.
Avoiding These Dangers is Simple
Every one of these potential side effects can be avoided by simply following the standards set in place by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Their official site has a long list of safety standards and regulations for working environments, the handling of industrial equipment, hazardous materials, and a large variety of machinery and materials used in different industries. For industrial gas cylinders, they usually include the use of safety equipment like cylinder carts and cylinder stands.
If you’re storing a gas tank for later use, its environment must be cool and dry, indoors and away from the sun. You don’t want it in the heat, whether it is outside in the sun or inside in a really hot room. Exposure to high temperatures can lead to a potential explosion, actually. Cylinder carts and stands are a good idea to use too, as they'll keep the gas tanks steady while being transported from point A to point B.
Keeping your body protected is important while using any gases. It usually depends on the gas and what your using it for, but regardless, it wouldn’t hurt to use them (pun unintended). Make sure you keep your eyes protected and wear goggles to prevent and fumes from potentially entering in or on the surface of your eyes. With the use of cold, cryogenic gases, gloves are a good idea. Although, you need to make sure they’re cryogenic gloves, as any regular pair of gloves won’t protect you from the cold vapor and won’t be up to par with the standards of what OSHA expects.
Again, make sure you’re following OSHA regulations while using these safety equipment. Keep it in a cool, dry room and use safety gear while using one. We do have a lot of safety equipment that are recommended by OSHA, so if you’re looking for any of the few things mentioned earlier, you can find them on our shop. As for gas tanks, we are known for our industrial gas rental services and speedy gas delivery service. It’s perfect for those who need a quick use of a gas tank. We can deliver them to almost any venue in the United States and Canada. Carbon dioxide, propane, and nitrogen are what we offer, and they are available in industrial-grade and food-grade.
You can get started on placing an order over here. If you have any questions, you can email us or call us at 877-280-5321. We’ll be more than happy to answer any concerns or questions you might have about our services and all things related to gas safety!