Health and Safety Guidelines – Liquid Petroleum Gas Storage

LPG is Liquefied Petroleum Gas, which includes butane, propane, and mixtures thereof is usually stored under pressure. Cylinders are often very heavy and should be handled, with the appropriate equipment and with care, to prevent rupture or damage. See our range of Cylinder Trolleys here.

If you are looking for information on Marquee and Food Festival safety, please see our
Marquee Mayhem: Gas Safety Guide.

gas storage cage

Storage of Gas Cylinders

Key Guidance:

  • Where possible, cylinders should be stored outdoors and be:
      • Well ventilated
      • Well drained
  • If not reasonably practical, indoor storage can be used but must meet strict safety requirements. Contact your supplier, Health & Safety advisor, local council or fire authority for more information.small cylinder upright
  • LPG containers should be stored on ground level (never below) away from any hazards (electrical power lines, smoking areas, cardboard storage or other flammable materials).
  • Ensure appropriate signage is used at all times and that cylinders are stored vertically.
  • Refillable cylinders are considered full, whatever their state.
  • Notices and advice on discovery of leaking should be displayed near storage areas at all times.
  • Cylinders that are empty should be stored separately, or marked to identify them, but must still be treated as full.
  • Different types of cylinder and gas property should be stored separately, at least 3 metres apart.

For more detailed advice on storage and storage distances, please contact your Health & Safety advisor or local council or fire authority.

IMPORTANT YOU CANNOT STORE OXYGEN & PROPANE TOGETHER

Please see full HSE Government details by clicking on link below:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/indg459.pdf

Leak Detection

Many canisters are odorised, and leaks of either gas or liquid can be detected by smell before sight. If a leak has been detected, contact emergency services immediately.

Leaks can be detected by:

  • Sense of smell
  • The sound of escaping gas
  • By condensation or frosting around the leak
  • Leaks may be confirmed by brushing soapy water over the suspected leak source

Please also see our range of fire resistant cabinets and high-security cages.

Our gas cage tool helps calculate the size of storage cage you require. We also have an extensive information page on Cylinder types and cylinder sizes.

Further Information:

Please see below links for further information on storage and transporting cylinders. To ensure compliance, we would highly recommend that you contact your Health & Safety advisor, local council or fire authority and/or LP Gas Suppliers.

UKLPG are the trade association for the LPG industry in the UK and provide guidance on handling of LP Gas. They have a list of common questions which has more details on all aspects of LP Gas, but also official Code of Practise documents available from their online shop.  For full details of Storing Full and Empty LPG Cylinders, particularly see Code of Practice 7.

Emergency contact information can be found here. Your local council will have contacts and documentation too.

British Compressed Gas Association – Code of Practice 44.  The Storage of Gas Cyliners.

http://www.bcga.co.uk/assets/publications/CP44.pdf

If you are looking for gas-specific advice, please see:

PLEASE NOTE: This page is for information purposes only. We would encourage you to contact your Health & Safety advisor, local council or fire authority for further, specific information and to conform to Health & Safety guidelines.