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Can we store LPG cylinders inside a commerical business?
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ianjones  
#1 Posted : 20 December 2011 16:03:08(UTC)
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ianjones
A friend has asked my advice as they have had their lpg cylinders which feed a gas appliance stolen there were stored in a cage outside the building on a rural estate on a small business it is obvious the thieves will come back if the cylinders go back out there again! They need them for their production. can he store them inside? They have a small room which they use as a flammable store to store paints and solvents etc which has flammable signs, locked entry, ground floor ventilation and atex lighting I have advised as a friend that 1st option is to make the cage more thief proof - this is the most preferrred option 2nd use the store only if no other outside area can be used 3rd advise your insurance company immediately and ask them for advice 4th any lpg piping to the appliance must be done by competent person and a certificate obtained 5th contact your landlord and ask for help. have I missed anything? what would you advise?
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Williamx  
#2 Posted : 20 December 2011 16:09:28(UTC)
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Williamx
Ian, Have a look at the safety information on the calor website http://www.calor.co.uk/c...mer-services/lpg-safety/ There's some really good info on there regarding storage etc. William
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Lawlee45239  
#3 Posted : 21 December 2011 10:15:19(UTC)
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Lawlee45239
I think your piece of advice on keeping it outside is best, and get better security.
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David Bannister  
#4 Posted : 21 December 2011 10:34:13(UTC)
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David Bannister
A client of mine had exactly this problem. The solution we jointly devised was a much more secure storage "room" involving an internal fire resisting construction against the external wall with a sizeable external opening for ventilation. It was possible as the space was available in this particular instance. A flimsy external cage is great for dispersion of vapours but offers negligible security as your friend has discovered. A very substantial cage should be possible. Also even in the most rural of areas there is likely to be a reliable supplier of bottled gas within a short period of time so keeping an absolute minimum of "out of use" cylinders should be achievable.
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David Bannister  
#5 Posted : 21 December 2011 10:35:14(UTC)
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David Bannister
PS One insurance company's advice may well be different to a future insurer's.
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MaxPayne  
#6 Posted : 21 December 2011 10:46:48(UTC)
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MaxPayne
http://www.bcga.co.uk/pr...w/products.php?g1=1e5239 Outside storage is highly recommended; you'll never make anything "thief proof", the trick is to make it as difficult for the thief as possible, i.e. they'll want a quick smash and grab appoach, if they have to spend time and effort they probably won't bother and will go elsewhere. Some decent guidance of the linke above.
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PVZ  
#7 Posted : 21 December 2011 11:13:54(UTC)
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PVZ
The simple answer is yes, you can in limited quantities. Some basic info is available here; http://www.calor.co.uk/d...storage-of-cylinders.pdf Contact your LPG supplier for confirmation and further assistance. MaxPayne, you link is for compressed gases - although information is sometimes applicable to all gases, in this case CoP7 from UK LPG is the controlling document for liquefied petroleum gas. The link given above is a document based on the CoP.
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Ron Hunter  
#8 Posted : 21 December 2011 11:49:52(UTC)
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Ron Hunter
Ian, I very much doubt that a competent person would approve of a manifolded cylinder installation indoors, this is contrary to hse and LPGA guidance. Depending on throughput, it might be worth considering installation of a more permanent storage vessel (filled by tanker).
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Canopener  
#9 Posted : 21 December 2011 16:52:31(UTC)
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Canopener
You might also try this - http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/chis5.pdf General consensus appears to be outside.
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JJ Prendergast  
#10 Posted : 21 December 2011 17:17:56(UTC)
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JJ Prendergast
Agree outside is the much better option. However, compromises sometimes have to be made. How about plenty of ventilation in the room (powered fans or via air bricks etc) Fire dividing/resisting doors and walls from the rest of the building Minimum bottles in the room (stock) Fire/gas detector/alarm in the room Regular inspections/leak checks In addition to the already indicated ATEX lighting/electrics etc.
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HSSnail  
#11 Posted : 21 December 2011 17:23:51(UTC)
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HSSnail
For me there are 2 different things being talked about here. Stored - to me suggests a supply of full bottles not connected to anything. Connected to a manifold to supply gas to equipment is not storage it is use. As others have said their is guidance as to the storage of small and large quantities of gas cylinders inside a building. Using gas cylinders inside a building is a different matter.
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