Q: When transporting acetylene and oxygen tanks in the back of a pickup truck what regulations do I have to follow? Do they need to be separated? What about if some are full and some are empty?
A: OSHA’s requirements for transporting, moving, and storing compressed gas cylinders are below:
o 1926.350(a)(1) Valve protection caps shall be in place and secured.
o 1926.350(a)(2) When cylinders are hoisted, they shall be secured on a cradle, slingboard, or pallet. They shall not be hoisted or transported by means of magnets or choker slings.
o 1926.350(a)(3) Cylinders shall be moved by tilting and rolling them on their bottom edges. They shall not be intentionally dropped, struck, or permitted to strike each other violently.
o 1926.350(a)(4) When cylinders are transported by powered vehicles, they shall be secured in a vertical position.
o 1926.350(a)(5) Valve protection caps shall not be used for lifting cylinders from one vertical position to another. Bars shall not be used under valves or valve protection caps to pry cylinders loose when frozen. Warm, not boiling, water shall be used to thaw cylinders loose.
o 1926.350(a)(6) Unless cylinders are firmly secured on a special carrier intended for this purpose, regulators shall be removed and valve protection caps put in place before cylinders are moved.
o 1926.350(a)(7) A suitable cylinder truck, chain, or other steadying device shall be used to keep cylinders from being knocked over while in use.
o 1926.350(a)(8) When work is finished, when cylinders are empty, or when cylinders are moved at any time, the cylinder valve shall be closed.
o 1926.350(a)(9) Compressed gas cylinders shall be secured in an upright position at all times except, if necessary, for short periods of time while cylinders are actually being hoisted or carried.
o 1926.350(a)(10) Oxygen cylinders in storage shall be separated from fuel-gas cylinders or combustible materials (especially oil or grease), a minimum distance of 20 feet (6.1 m) or by a noncombustible barrier at least 5 feet (1.5 m) high having a fire-resistance rating of at least one-half hour.
o 1926.350(a)(11) Inside of buildings, cylinders shall be stored in a well-protected, well-ventilated, dry location, at least 20 feet (6.1 m) from highly combustible materials such as oil or excelsior. Cylinders should be stored in definitely assigned places away from elevators, stairs, or gangways. Assigned storage places shall be located where cylinders will not be knocked over or damaged by passing or falling objects, or subject to tampering by unauthorized persons. Cylinders shall not be kept in unventilated enclosures such as lockers and cupboards.
OSHA doesn’t specifically address the transportation of oxygen and acetylene together. It’s our recommendation to transport them separately since they are supposed to be stored separately. Also, OSHA doesn’t consider tanks to be empty since they will usually still contain a small amount of the gas. You will want to treat the “empty” tanks the same as full tanks.
Finally, due to OSHA’s limited information on transporting the tanks we recommend also checking with the Department of Transportation. The DOT’s requirements are out of the realm of our expertise, but the following link has some of the requirements that you might have to follow: click here.
