# Compressed gas cylinders

URL: https://hardhatbinder.com/en/toolbox-talks/gas-cylinders
Last updated: 2026-10-23

We use oxygen, acetylene, and other gas cylinders on our jobs every week. A cylinder that falls and breaks its valve can take off like a rocket, and a leak can start a fire fast. Let's go over how we store, move, and use them safely.

## Key points

1. Always keep cylinders standing up and secured with a chain or strap so they can't tip over, whether in storage, on a cart, or at the work area.
2. Put the valve protection cap on whenever the regulator is off, and never lift a cylinder by the cap.
3. Move cylinders with a proper cylinder cart. Don't roll them on their side, drag them, or drop them, and never hoist them with a magnet or a choker sling.
4. Store oxygen at least 20 feet away from fuel gas cylinders and from oil or grease, or separate them with a noncombustible wall at least 5 feet high.
5. Close the cylinder valves when work is finished, when the cylinder is empty, and before you move it.
6. Keep oil and greasy gloves away from oxygen valves and regulators, and never use oxygen to blow off dust or clothes.
7. Keep cylinders away from sparks, hot slag, and flames, and never take cylinders inside a tank or confined space.

## Talk it over

- Where are the cylinders on our site right now, and are every one of them chained or strapped upright?
- How are we moving cylinders between floors or areas, and is there a safer way we should be doing it?
- Is our oxygen stored far enough from fuel gas, and do we have caps for all the cylinders without regulators?

> **Remember:** Every cylinder: upright, secured, capped when not in use, and valve closed when you walk away.

## Official sources

- [29 CFR 1926.350](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.350) — Gas welding and cutting (cylinders)

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Source: HardHat Binder, operated by Leadspire LLC. Templates to be reviewed by a competent person before use; not legal advice; not affiliated with OSHA.