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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8151
Attaching a regulator outside the protective collar surrounding the neck
of a propane tank can be deadly, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) cautions.
The agency recently issued a hazard information bulletin to its
compliance officers notifying them that propane tanks commonly found on
construction sites may have regulators that extend outside the collars. The
protective collar is designed to prevent damage to valves. These extensions
leave the regulators --and attached equipment such as blowtorches--vulnerable
if the tank is dropped or struck by a heavy object.
In one case, a worker entered a confined space to clear ice from a
manhole using a blowtorch with a regulator attached outside the collar of a
20-pound propane cylinder. The cylinder fell, the regulator detached from the
valve, and propane was released into the manhole. The propane caught fire
inside the confined space, and the worker burned to death.
OSHA regulations require that for most operations, propane tanks be
placed outside buildings. When this is not possible, the standards call for
regulators to be attached directly to the valve on the tank and protected from
damage by a collar or other safeguard. Further, OSHA standards require
employees to receive training on how to do their jobs safely. The National Fire
Protection Association, which sets voluntary safety standards, also has
recommendations covering protection for valves and connections such as
regulators as well as requirements for appropriate employee training.
The hazard information bulletin, "Attaching an Unguarded Blowtorch
Regulator to a Portable Propane Cylinder," dated Oct. 7, 1996 is available on
the Internet at http://www.osha.gov under Other OSHA Documents, Hazard
Information Bulletins. OSHA construction standards governing propane tanks
(Subpart F, Fire Protection and Prevention) and similar general industry
standards (Subpart H, Hazardous Materials) also can be found on the Internet
under Standards. The hazard information bulletin also will be placed on an
upcoming issue of the OSHA CD-ROM.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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