Posted By Andrew Brown Mark Its not clear exactly what your circumstances are regards usage or your opporating environment. Can you comply with HSG139 Safe use of welding gases? To go further than full compliance with HSE guidance would seem OTT unless you have some specific site vulnerability the guidance dosen't allow for. As you say transport by road introduces new risks i would suggest this is risk transferrance not risk reduction

Posted By Peter Batty The British Compresed Gas Association are very useful, http://www.bcga.co.uk CP7 The Safe Use of Oxy-Fuel Gas Equipment (Individual Portable or Mobile Cylinder Supply). Revision 4: 2004 Minimum safety standards for the use, inspection and maintenance of oxy-fuel gas welding, cutting and heating equipment incorporating individual portable or mobile cylinder gas supplies. I beleive its priced at £21.00. and CP31 Safe Storage and Use of Cylinders in Mobile Workshops and Service Vehicles: 1997 Covers the design and construction of mobile workshops and other specialist vehicles with regard to the safe storage of cylinders and the installation of gas equipment on such vehicles. Also includes procedures for safe operation and training. about £15.00. I have some pictures of failed units I'll attempt to send by email. Regards Peter

Posted By John Murgatroyd I've been welding for 30 years (+) and never seen an incident involving acetylene cylinders.yet. Or oxygen. Or propane. All of our cyclinders are stored in the same compound, ouside. Together. Oxy, acet, propane, helium, argon. Never had any problems at all. Cleared by the insurers, by the fire dept and by Uncle Tom Cobbly. Read through this: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr040.pdf Right at the end........well, 3/4 of the way through...

Posted By safetybod In what circumstances would you expect these to explode ?

Posted By Crim As a former fire fighter of 24 years I attended a few fires where oxy/acetylene cylinders created a hazard for firefighters. They were never the cause of a fire but once involved became extremely unpredictable. My advice would be wherever you store them please post a notice that would advise firefighters what and where they are, in case there is a fire in the storage area or vehicle.

Posted By John Murgatroyd A fire involving acetylene is complicated by the fact that it is dissolved in acetone, held in a porous "sponge"....that said, any problems are usually caused by the cylinder being involved in a workshop fire..most fab and welding shops are unlikely to have large amounts of combustible materials about anyway...if the cyclinders are turned off when no work is beng done then there really shouldn't be any risk at all. Our workshop has 4 sets of flame cutting gear on trolleys, one set of propane gear and about 8 MIG sets.all with AR/CO2 bottles on. In over 10 years there has not been a single incident involving either fire or accidental release of gas.

Posted By Mark Eden One thing to bear in mind, any fires involving gas cylinders cause the Fire Services to throw up a 200M cordon. This means roads or railway tracks are shut for up to 24 hours if they fall within the 200M cordon along with any other property in the the area. I've seen the consequences of a cylinder exploding when serving in the Fire Service and the resulting injuries to FS personnel. Thankfully it does not happen to often. If you speak to your local Fire & Rescue Service i'm sure they will help you with data you require and advise the best cause of action on where to store the OxyAcet sets.

Posted By Mark Eden with regard to the last post - it means 200 metres. If housing is there, all residents have to be evacuated - no one aloud to remain in the area.

Posted By John Murgatroyd That's why the insurers inspect the premises. That's why the fire service do the same. Presumably, that's also the same job you're in....health and safety ? You can count the total amount of incidents involving oxygen and/or acetylene cyclinders on your fingers....in a year. Common sense works wonders, and most of the people USING them are a lot brighter in their use than any amount of H&S advisers....most of whom wouldn't know acetylene from propane....they are TRAINED in the safe use of the things....most of the problems, the FEW there are, come from managers with bright ideas and no brains....."why keep trolleying them in and out, just keep them all in the workshop"..(univ degree in engineering)

Posted By ian milne Just a quick one. I am positive there was a similar swan hunter incident with a rig berthed at the cromarty firth during 80's to 90's. Check the hSE website for the prosecutions or the scottish courts websites. I also think the BP grangemouth had something similar or smoking in a fuel/gas tank. My memory is begining to wane about this time - sorry. Ian