Gas Cylinder Safety Stats and Facts

FACTS

  1. There are a variety of ways in which workers and people in the proximity of compressed gas can be harmed. 

Asphyxiation – Sometimes, compressed gas escapes its container, which can happen suddenly and quickly turn overwhelming.
Chemical Burns – In many cases, compressed gas is corrosive and can result in substantial skin damage.
Explosions and Fires – Compressed gas can be ignited by contact with a flame or spark of electricity.
High-Pressure Accidents – Various injuries can be caused by the substantial amount of pressure that builds up inside a container and can cause objects to be released with great pressure.

  1. Types of compressed gases that can cause accidents that lead to very serious injuries. 
  • Acetylene
  • Argon
  • Butane
  • Ethylene
  • Helium
  • Hydrogen
  • Methylamine
  • Nitrogen
  • Oxygen

STATS

  • The highest number of gas cylinder incidents come from welding and cutting torches, which account for nearly 60 % of reported fires.
  • a case in which a plumber was killed, and several other workers were seriously injured by a bombardment of flying gas cylinders.
  • The most common injuries related to cylinder handling result from falling cylinders. The most prevalent are contusions and fractures in the lower extremities, including breaks in the phalanges, metatarsal, tibia and fibula bones. The second-most common injuries include sprains, strains and spinal cord injuries in the lower lumbar spine, such as herniated or bulged discs (L1-L5) in workers who attempt to catch or stop falling cylinders.
  • According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 10 deaths and 3,920 injuries related to gas cylinder accidents in 2019.
  • There were 4,764 fatal work injuries related to gas cylinder incidents recorded in the United States in 2020.
  • According to the American Welding Society mishandling compressed gas cylinders caused at least 11 deaths in U.S.