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You can find pressurised gas cylinders in heaters, tools, cookers and many other places in the workplace. There are many different types of compressed gas, some are flammable, explosive, toxic or some may just be air but they still pose a risk of explosion.

Where ever you are using gas cylinders, you have got to be careful and make sure everything is safe. You have to make sure cylinders are used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, cylinders are serviced correctly, the pipes are secured, the regulators are fixed on correctly and have all appliances have been serviced regularly. Keep any sources of ignition away from where gas cylinders are used and stored.

With the gas heaters, make sure they are not close to anything that can catch fire and make sure they are not in a place where someone could brush past them and burn themselves. Be very careful where you actually place these heaters and make sure the person who is trained to use them is trained in how to change the gas tanks over.

When the gas tank is disconnected, store it safely and make sure it can not fall over and roll. You must be very careful and remember that an empty tank is lighter than a full one.

With any gas appliance, we must make sure that any maintenance is performed by an approved person. You cannot just remove the pipes, then connect them back up again yourself, so make sure that you consult your manager and find out exactly who the approved person is or if it is your responsibility to find this person, make sure you check the credentials of anyone who is performing the maintenance on any gas appliance.

Regarding gas bottles you should:
- Store and use in an upright position
- Store in a well-ventilated area
- Keep away from ignition sources
- Store above ground level
- Store away from anything corrosive or that could damage the bottle or pipes.
- Handle carefully using correct lifting techniques
- Do not roll them on their side
- Treat empty bottles with the same care as full ones as they are still pressurised and pose a risk.