Have you ever wondered what is the best practice for connecting your gas cylinders to their regulators? The authority on Gas Cylinder Safety is the Compressed Gas Association (CGA), they publish "pamphlets" for specific gases and any data on them engineers may find useful when designing industrial piping or use systems. AirGas is our main gas supplier and they also work hand in hand with CGA to publish good information
DO:
Use the appropriate CGA number for the tank
Know the proper method of connecting the regulator to the tank
Be aware of cross contamination
Use the appropriate amount of torque when connecting the regulator
DON'T:
Use an adapter or fitting to make the connection
Use teflon tape to lubricate the threads
Over-torque the connection and cause damage to the threads
More information on each of these bullet points can be found on the AirGas website
Incident Spotlight- Mixed Connections
There is a very specific reason all gas cylinder valves are threaded differently, its it to prevent the inadvertent connecting of the wrong regulator. This is especially important in confined space work when using supplied air. Unfortunately, sometimes a work site will have supplied air line respirators connected using the same connections as air tools, natural gas, or purge gases. In too many of these cases the worker that is reliant on the supplied air line will switch connections to a wrong line and become exposed to asphyxiation hazards. "Universal" style gas fittings are a major contributing factor in these accidents.
Gas Detection Systems
Some gases such as highly toxic or heavier-than air gases may require additional area safeguards such as gas detection systems. These systems can give an occupant a warning that there may be a hazard in the area. There are many kinds, if you think you need detection in your area contact EH&S.
Hierarchy of Hazardous Waste Management
You've heard us talk at length about the hierarchy of controls for safety, but what about the hierarchy of controls for waste management?
The concept is the same- ultimately, the final control for waste management is disposal (being put into a landfill, burial, etc.). However, there are steps that we can take with hazardous wastes that are more beneficial to the environment, such as recycling and using wastes as a fuel source.
The key to this concept is that the most environmentally friendly form of waste management is through source reduction; if you don't generate the waste in the first place then our overall volume will be reduced. If we can implement this practice within the research community, we will be doing our part to building a more sustainable community.
same- ultimately, the final control for waste management is disposal (being put into a landfill, burial, etc.). However, there are steps that we can take with hazardous wastes that are more beneficial to the environment, such as recycling and using wastes as a fuel source. 