Email Enquiry

GN15 Gas Cylinders & Fire

Initial Email Enquiry –

Thanks to the Chief Fire Officer at Qatar Petroleum for passing on this PDF from the British Compressed Gas Association which provides excellent guidence on managing gas cylinders in fire situations. Please familiarise yourself with the contents - it may make you think through your current standard operating procedures!!

View / download document on: managing gas cylinders in fire situations (PDF doc).

1^st Response –

The paper from the British Compressed Gas Association was very good. I would recommend that it be distributed to all fire department that you can. One issue that I have always had about compressed gas cylinders is that many fire fighters do not realize the dangers in high pressure cylinders. I have been hoping that someone would do some tests using a high pressure cylinder and deliberately rupture it and show how it can go thought walls and a great distance. Many people just do not realize the energy that is there.

It also would be helpful to show an acetylene cylinder that has an internal explosion and its danger. We have taught all about the issue with acetylene cylinders, but we do not have a video to show it happening and what happens if we do not take the proper safe precautions.

The other issue is to show what can happen if a person is subjected to a high pressure leak such as 10-20,00 psi and higher and how it can literally cut a person in too. This is very applicable to industry as we have many processes that have high pressures such as this and even higher.

I have always wanted to do this but never was able to find anyone who would perform the tests.

End of email correspondence on Topic to date.

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