Tradefox Reference
Gas cylinder colours.Read the label. Use the colour as a clue.
Cylinder colours tell you a lot from across a workshop, but the code changes from country to country. Europe colours the shoulder by hazard, Australia and Japan paint the whole cylinder by gas, and the US leaves industrial colours to each supplier. Pick a scheme to see each gas drawn out, then compare them side by side.
Read a cylinder. Top to bottom.
Every cylinder carries the same clues in the same places. The label is the one you can rely on; the rest help you spot a problem from a distance.
- Valve and guard Outlet threads differ between gas families, so the wrong regulator will not fit. Many fuel gases use left-hand threads.
- Shoulder colour In Europe, the UK and the Gulf this is the coded part: it shows the main hazard, or the gas itself for a few common gases.
- The letter N Stamped twice on cylinders repainted during the European changeover. It is optional in the UK and no longer needed on Australian medical stock.
- Label The legal identifier. It names the gas or mixture and carries the hazard diamond, UN number, warnings and supplier details.
- Stamped markings Serial number, test pressure, test dates and owner are stamped into the shoulder. Test rings, if fitted, show the next test year.
- Body colour Free in Europe except for medical (white) and acetylene (maroon). In Australia, India, Japan and China the whole cylinder is coloured by gas.
Europe’s four hazard colours
Under EN 1089-3, a gas without its own colour takes the colour of its main hazard on the shoulder. Two hazards can mean two colours.
Toxic or corrosive
Yellow. Ammonia, chlorine, carbon monoxide. RAL 1018
Flammable
Red. Hydrogen, methane, propane mixes, argon/hydrogen. RAL 3000
Oxidising
Light blue. Oxygen-rich mixtures that feed a fire. RAL 5012
Inert
Bright green. Krypton, neon, most welding shielding mixes. RAL 6018
Seven common gases have their own shoulder colour instead:
Colour codes. 10 schemes, 15 gases.
Choose a scheme. Each gas is drawn with its shoulder and body colour; a hatched area means the scheme leaves that colour to the supplier. On-screen colours are approximate.
EN 1089-3 Europe and UK, shoulder colour by hazard
The shoulder colour tells you the main hazard from a distance, before the label is close enough to read. A handful of common gases have their own colour; everything else takes the colour of its hazard. LPG, refrigerants, fire extinguishers and bundles are outside the standard.
- Where
- EU, EEA and UK (adopted as BS EN 1089-3)
- Issued by
- CEN (European Committee for Standardization)
- Edition
- EN 1089-3:2011 (replaced the 2004 edition)
- Status
- Current, under its periodic review in 2026
- What is coloured
- Shoulder (the curved top). Body colour is free, except medical (white).
- Legal basis
- European standard; shipping and supply law makes the label, not the colour, the legal identifier.
- Colours are RAL references. The most serious hazard decides the colour: toxic, then flammable, then oxidising, then inert.
- Cylinders repainted during the changeover carried the letter N twice on opposite sides of the shoulder. The UK never required the N.
Sources and confidence
Verified Confirmed from an authoritative source such as a standard, regulator or official industry body.
- EN 1089-3:2011 catalogue entry (iTeh Standards, CEN catalogue) (opens in a new tab)Title, July 2011 publication, scope (industrial, breathing and medical gases; LPG excluded), supersedes the 2004 edition, letter "N" twice on the shoulder (normative Annex C).
- BCGA Technical Information Sheet 6, Gas cylinder identification: label and colour code requirements, Revision 3 (2018) (opens in a new tab)Shoulder colours and RAL numbers by hazard and for specific gases; label is the primary identifier; medical bodies white; UK acetylene RAL 3007 body and shoulder; hydrogen red by UK custom; "N" not needed in the UK; LPG excluded; dip-tube stripe.
- BOC Special Products, Cylinder colour change (via University of Glasgow) (opens in a new tab)Shoulder colours by hazard and specific gas under BS EN 1089-3; body colour stays the supplier's choice; labels are the primary identifier.
- IGV Industriegaseverband, Druckgasflaschen: Farbkennzeichnung (leaflet) (opens in a new tab)"N" means new and is stamped twice on the shoulder where the colour changed; technical oxygen changed from blue to white in Germany; body grey or shoulder colour for industrial, white for medical; hazard label is binding.
- Messer Specialty Gases, Cylinder and bundle markings (opens in a new tab)EN 1089-3 hazard colours with examples: argon/hydrogen and other flammable mixtures red; inert gases bright green.
- Woikoski (Finland), How to identify gas cylinders (opens in a new tab)Body graphite grey for industrial and white for medical gases in that fleet; shoulder colours per EN 1089-3.
- Middle East Gases Association, Industrial gas cylinders colour coding (TD 08/15/E) (opens in a new tab)EN 1089-3 shoulder colours with RAL numbers for MEGA members (outside Saudi Arabia); body not mandated, grey recommended; label primary; conversion by 31 Dec 2019.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
UK practice BCGA guidance on BS EN 1089-3
The UK applies BS EN 1089-3 shoulders and adds a few national rules on the body. The body colours drawn here are the typical ones from a large UK fleet; another supplier may paint the same gas differently.
- Where
- Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Issued by
- British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA)
- Edition
- TIS 6 Revision 4 (2023); medical policy TIS 20 Revision 3 (2023)
- Status
- Current industry guidance
- What is coloured
- Shoulder per BS EN 1089-3. Bodies: white for medical, maroon for acetylene, red for hydrogen; otherwise the supplier's scheme.
- Legal basis
- Carriage of Dangerous Goods Regulations 2009 and CLP labelling make the label the legal identifier. Colour is voluntary.
- The old British Standard BS 349 scheme was withdrawn. BS EN 1089-3 took effect in the UK on 1 July 2006, and old colours took about five years to leave circulation.
- Bodies marked "supplier practice" come from one UK fleet. Treat them as typical, not a rule.
Sources and confidence
Verified Confirmed from an authoritative source such as a standard, regulator or official industry body.
- BCGA Technical Information Sheet 6, Gas cylinder identification: label and colour code requirements, Revision 3 (2018) (opens in a new tab)Shoulder colours and RAL numbers by hazard and for specific gases; label is the primary identifier; medical bodies white; UK acetylene RAL 3007 body and shoulder; hydrogen red by UK custom; "N" not needed in the UK; LPG excluded; dip-tube stripe.
- BCGA TIS 6 Revision 4 (2023) publication page (opens in a new tab)Confirms Revision 4 (2023) is the current edition. The download is behind a form, so this page summarises Revision 3.
- BCGA TIS 20, Medical gases: BCGA policy on colour coding, Revision 3 (2023) (opens in a new tab)BCGA policy setting body and shoulder colours for UK medical gas cylinders, with a conversion programme.
- BCGA Guidance Note 2, Storage of gas cylinders in the workplace (Rev 5, 2012), via Queen's University Belfast (opens in a new tab)UK shoulder colours follow BS EN 1089-3, which replaced the withdrawn BS 349; ISO 32 covers medical cylinders; shoulder colours not to be relied on alone.
- University of Portsmouth, Compressed Gas Handbook (opens in a new tab)Typical UK (BOC-based) body and shoulder colours; mixtures vary by supplier; storage, segregation, handling and ventilation guidance.
- University of Manchester safety circular 17/2005, Gas cylinders: colour coding (opens in a new tab)BS EN 1089-3 took effect in the UK on 1 July 2006; changeover began autumn 2005; old cylinders up to five years to leave circulation.
- BOC Special Products, Cylinder colour change (via University of Glasgow) (opens in a new tab)Shoulder colours by hazard and specific gas under BS EN 1089-3; body colour stays the supplier's choice; labels are the primary identifier.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
ISO 32 medical Medical cylinders outside North America
Medical gases have their own shoulder colours so a clinician can pick the right cylinder quickly. A white body marks a cylinder as medical. Mixtures show each component's colour, in quarters or rings.
- Where
- International (used in Europe, UK, Australia, NZ and elsewhere)
- Issued by
- ISO; applied in Europe through EN 1089-3
- Edition
- ISO 32:1977, confirmed 2022
- Status
- Current
- What is coloured
- Shoulder by gas; body white in Europe, the UK and Australia/NZ.
- Legal basis
- Medicines regulation adds labelling rules for licensed medical gases.
- The US and Canada use a different medical code: see the USA tab. Medical oxygen is green there and white almost everywhere else.
- UK medical fleets were converted to white bodies under a BCGA programme. Older stock may still turn up.
Sources and confidence
Verified Confirmed from an authoritative source such as a standard, regulator or official industry body.
- ISO 32:1977 Gas cylinders for medical use: marking for identification of content (iso.org) (opens in a new tab)Standard is current, last reviewed and confirmed in 2022; sets colours for medical cylinders; mixtures show each component colour.
- BCGA Technical Information Sheet 6, Gas cylinder identification: label and colour code requirements, Revision 3 (2018) (opens in a new tab)Shoulder colours and RAL numbers by hazard and for specific gases; label is the primary identifier; medical bodies white; UK acetylene RAL 3007 body and shoulder; hydrogen red by UK custom; "N" not needed in the UK; LPG excluded; dip-tube stripe.
- BCGA TIS 20, Medical gases: BCGA policy on colour coding, Revision 3 (2023) (opens in a new tab)BCGA policy setting body and shoulder colours for UK medical gas cylinders, with a conversion programme.
- StatPearls, medical gas cylinder colours (opens in a new tab)International medical colours: oxygen white, air white and black; US oxygen green, air yellow.
- Saint Luke's Health System, HazCom: Medical gases (opens in a new tab)US medical colours (oxygen green, CO2 grey, nitrous oxide blue, nitrogen black, helium brown, air yellow) and the international oxygen and air colours.
- IGV Industriegaseverband, Druckgasflaschen: Farbkennzeichnung (leaflet) (opens in a new tab)"N" means new and is stamped twice on the shoulder where the colour changed; technical oxygen changed from blue to white in Germany; body grey or shoulder colour for industrial, white for medical; hazard label is binding.
- NSW Health safety notice SN 010/16, Medical gas cylinder colours (opens in a new tab)White bodies for all medical cylinders; shoulder colours for air, CO2, oxygen, nitrous oxide and 50% N2O/O2; the "N" marking is redundant and removed from May 2016 at the next test.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
USA Labels govern; colour only fixed for medical gases
There is no standard industrial colour code in the US. Each gas company paints its own fleet, so the same gas can look different from one supplier to the next. Only medical gases have a fixed colour, and even then the label decides.
- Where
- United States
- Issued by
- Compressed Gas Association (CGA); FDA for medical gases
- Edition
- CGA C-7-2020 (labelling); 21 CFR 201.328 and CGA C-9 (medical colours)
- Status
- Current
- What is coloured
- Industrial: no national colour code. Medical: shoulder colour set by federal rule.
- Legal basis
- DOT hazard labels and the product name identify contents. OSHA 1910.101 points to CGA practice.
- CGA C-7 tells users never to rely on cylinder colour: the product name on the label is what counts.
- Medical mixtures carry the colours of each component gas.
Sources and confidence
Verified Confirmed from an authoritative source such as a standard, regulator or official industry body.
- CGA C-7-2020, Guide to Classification and Labeling of Compressed Gases (incorporated by reference, law.resource.org) (opens in a new tab)Users must not rely on container colour; the product name on the label is the key information; a practical industrial colour code is not possible.
- 21 CFR 201.328, Labeling of medical gas containers (eCFR) (opens in a new tab)US federal colours for medical gases (air yellow, CO2 grey, helium brown, nitrogen black, nitrous oxide blue, oxygen green, mixtures in component colours); high-pressure medical cylinders coloured on the shoulder.
- Saint Luke's Health System, HazCom: Medical gases (opens in a new tab)US medical colours (oxygen green, CO2 grey, nitrous oxide blue, nitrogen black, helium brown, air yellow) and the international oxygen and air colours.
- StatPearls, medical gas cylinder colours (opens in a new tab)International medical colours: oxygen white, air white and black; US oxygen green, air yellow.
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.253, Oxygen-fuel gas welding and cutting (opens in a new tab)Oxygen stored 20 ft (6.1 m) from fuel gases or behind a 5 ft (1.5 m) half-hour fire-rated barrier; acetylene stored valve end up; valve caps on when not in use.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
AS 4484 Australia and New Zealand, whole-cylinder colours
Australia and New Zealand colour the cylinder by gas, not by hazard, so the code looks nothing like the European one. Medical cylinders switched to white bodies so they cannot be confused with industrial stock.
- Where
- Australia; New Zealand fills to the same standard
- Issued by
- Standards Australia
- Edition
- AS 4484:2016
- Status
- Current
- What is coloured
- Industrial: colour of the cylinder by gas (AS 2700 colour names). Medical: white body, coloured shoulder.
- Legal basis
- Australian standard used with the Australian Dangerous Goods Code labels.
- From May 2016 the letter N on Australian medical cylinders became redundant and is removed at the next periodic test.
- Imported cylinders may not follow AS 4484.
Sources and confidence
Corroborated Two independent reputable sources agree.
- Elgas (Australia), Gas cylinder colour code chart (opens in a new tab)Australian cylinder colours: oxygen black, nitrogen pewter, argon peacock blue, helium brown, acetylene claret, hydrogen signal red, LPG silver/light grey/galvanised, CO2 green grey.
- BOC New Zealand, Guidelines for Gas Cylinder Safety (2017) (opens in a new tab)NZ-filled cylinders follow AS 4484 with AS 2700 colour names (oxygen black N61, nitrogen pewter N63, argon peacock blue T53, CO2 silver N24, acetylene maroon R65); label is primary; storage and transport rules; acetylene upright.
- Coregas, Identifying medical gas cylinders (opens in a new tab)AS 4484 medical cylinders have white bodies; oxygen white, nitrous oxide ultramarine, CO2 green grey, mixtures in alternating quarters.
- NSW Health safety notice SN 010/16, Medical gas cylinder colours (opens in a new tab)White bodies for all medical cylinders; shoulder colours for air, CO2, oxygen, nitrous oxide and 50% N2O/O2; the "N" marking is redundant and removed from May 2016 at the next test.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
IS 4379 India, ground colour plus bands
Each named gas has a ground colour, and some carry a band near the valve at least a quarter of the diameter wide. Gases without their own colour are painted white, with red and/or yellow bands for flammable and poisonous.
- Where
- India
- Issued by
- Bureau of Indian Standards
- Edition
- IS 4379:1981 with amendments (1984, 2006, 2013)
- Status
- Current
- What is coloured
- Ground (body) colour, with neck bands for some gases. Name and formula must also be marked.
- Legal basis
- Indian Standard used under the Gas Cylinders Rules. Medical cylinders are covered by IS 3933.
- The only copy we could open is a scanned text, so a few table entries were matched by position. Treat this tab as a guide and check the label.
Sources and confidence
Verified Confirmed from an authoritative source such as a standard, regulator or official industry body.
- IS 4379:1981 Identification of the contents of industrial gas cylinders (Bureau of Indian Standards, via law.resource.org) (opens in a new tab)Ground colours and bands for named gases, general scheme for other gases, band widths, name and formula marking; amendments 1984, 2006 (LPG) and 2013.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
SANS 10019 South Africa, supplier charts in practice
SANS 10019 covers the design, use and maintenance of gas cylinders in South Africa, and suppliers colour-code to SABS specifications. We could not open the colour tables themselves, and local guidance says cylinder appearance varies between providers.
- Where
- South Africa
- Issued by
- South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)
- Edition
- SANS 10019:2019 (edition 8)
- Status
- Current
- What is coloured
- Colour coding to SABS specifications; each supplier publishes its own chart.
- Legal basis
- National standard for transportable pressure receptacles, with labelling under dangerous goods rules.
- Suppliers state that the decal (label) is the primary identifier and their colour charts are indicative only.
Sources and confidence
Check local rules Best-known practice, not confirmed from an authoritative source. Check local rules..
- Government Gazette 42391 (2019), Standards Act notice listing SANS 10019:2019 Ed 8 (opens in a new tab)SANS 10019 edition 8 (2019) issued, covering design, manufacture, use and maintenance of transportable pressure receptacles.
- Afrox, Identification and filling (opens in a new tab)Cylinders colour-coded to SABS specifications and marked with the gas name; refuse any cylinder that cannot be positively identified.
- Air Products South Africa, gas chart (rev 02/2026) (opens in a new tab)Cylinder decals are the primary means of identification; the colour chart is indicative only.
- University of Cape Town, SOP: gas cylinders storage and use (opens in a new tab)Cylinder appearance varies between South African gas providers; examples include oxygen black and acetylene maroon; flammable mixtures red shoulder, toxic yellow.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
Japan High Pressure Gas Safety Act container rules
Japan sets cylinder colours in law. Six gases have their own colour and every other high-pressure gas is grey, so most industrial gases look the same: the painted name and the hazard characters do the identifying.
- Where
- Japan
- Issued by
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
- Edition
- Regulation on Safety of Containers, Article 10 (amended 2021)
- Status
- In force (law)
- What is coloured
- Half or more of the outer surface, by gas. Gas name and a flammable or toxic character must be marked.
- Legal basis
- Ministerial ordinance under the High Pressure Gas Safety Act.
- Unpainted aluminium, aluminium alloy and stainless steel containers, and vehicle CNG tanks, are exempt from painting.
Sources and confidence
Verified Confirmed from an authoritative source such as a standard, regulator or official industry body.
- Regulation on Safety of Containers (Japan, under the High Pressure Gas Safety Act), Japanese Law Translation (opens in a new tab)Article 10: half or more of the surface painted oxygen black, hydrogen red, liquefied CO2 green, ammonia white, chlorine yellow, acetylene brown, other gases grey; LPG and bare aluminium or stainless exempt; gas name and flammable/toxic character marked.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
GB/T 7144 China, body colour plus coloured lettering
China paints the whole cylinder by gas and adds the gas name in a contrasting lettering colour. Oxygen is light blue, which surprises visitors used to the European white or the US green.
- Where
- China (mainland)
- Issued by
- SAMR / Standardization Administration of China
- Edition
- GB/T 7144-2016 (replaced GB 7144-1999)
- Status
- Current
- What is coloured
- Body colour by gas, with the gas name painted in a set lettering colour.
- Legal basis
- National standard used with cylinder safety supervision rules.
- Ammonia is light yellow with black lettering; chlorine is dark green with white lettering.
Sources and confidence
Corroborated Two independent reputable sources agree.
- GB/T 7144-2016 Colored cylinder mark for gases (ChineseStandard.net preview) (opens in a new tab)Issued 2016, in force 1 Sept 2016, replacing GB 7144-1999; hazard colours for mixtures: flammable red, toxic yellow, oxidising blue, non-flammable green.
- Peking University / Beijing Air Products Beifen, Gas and cylinder safety (2025) (opens in a new tab)GB/T 7144-2016 body and lettering colours: oxygen light blue/black, hydrogen light green/red, nitrogen black/white, CO2 aluminium white/black, acetylene white/red, air black/white, helium silver grey/dark green.
- Tongji University laboratory notice, common cylinder colour marks (opens in a new tab)Same body and lettering colours (from the 1999 edition) including argon silver grey with dark green lettering.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
MEGA Gulf states, EN 1089-3 shoulders
Gas companies across the Gulf adopted the European shoulder colours, with grey suggested for the body. Medical gases have a separate MEGA document.
- Where
- MEGA member companies in the Gulf (Saudi Arabia has its own code)
- Issued by
- Middle East Gases Association
- Edition
- TD 08/15/E (2015)
- Status
- Current guidance; conversion due by 31 Dec 2019
- What is coloured
- Shoulder per EN 1089-3. Body not mandated; grey recommended.
- Legal basis
- Industry association code for member companies. Client-owned and export cylinders are exempt.
- MEGA recommends a grey body as a neutral background for the shoulder colour.
Sources and confidence
Verified Confirmed from an authoritative source such as a standard, regulator or official industry body.
- Middle East Gases Association, Industrial gas cylinders colour coding (TD 08/15/E) (opens in a new tab)EN 1089-3 shoulder colours with RAL numbers for MEGA members (outside Saudi Arabia); body not mandated, grey recommended; label primary; conversion by 31 Dec 2019.
Checked 9 Nov 2026
Side by side. Same gas, different paint.
Every gas in every scheme on one table. Select a scheme name to open its details. Cells marked “check” are not confirmed from an official source.
Swipe the table sideways to see every scheme.
| Gas | Europe | UK | Medical | USA | Australia / NZ | India | South Africa | Japan | China | Gulf (MEGA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OxygenO₂ | White shoulder | White shoulder, black body | White | Green shoulder | Black | Black | Black | Black | Light blue, black text | White shoulder |
| NitrogenN₂ | Black shoulder | Black shoulder, grey body | Black shoulder, white body | Black shoulder | Pewter | French grey shoulder, french grey body, black band | Check supplier | Grey | Black, white text | Black shoulder |
| ArgonAr | Dark green shoulder | Dark green | Not covered | No standard colour | Peacock blue | Peacock blue | Check supplier | Grey | Silver grey, dark green text | Dark green shoulder |
| Carbon dioxideCO₂ | Grey shoulder | Grey shoulder, black body | Grey shoulder, white body | Grey shoulder | Silver | Black shoulder, black body, white band | Check supplier | Green | Aluminium white, black text | Grey shoulder |
| AcetyleneC₂H₂ | Maroon | Maroon (black red) | Not covered | No standard colour | Maroon | Maroon | Maroon | Brown | White, bright red text | Maroon |
| HydrogenH₂ | Red shoulder | Red | Not covered | No standard colour | Signal red | Signal red | Check supplier | Red | Light green, bright red text | Red shoulder |
| HeliumHe | Brown shoulder | Brown | Brown shoulder, white body | Brown shoulder | Middle brown | Middle brown | Check supplier | Grey | Silver grey, dark green text | Brown shoulder |
| Propane / LPG | Not covered | Red | Not covered | No standard colour | Silver | Signal red | Check supplier | Not covered | Check supplier | Not covered |
| Nitrous oxideN₂O | Blue shoulder | Blue shoulder | Blue shoulder, white body | Blue shoulder | Ultramarine shoulder, white body | Not covered | Check supplier | Grey | Check supplier | Blue shoulder |
| Compressed air | Bright green shoulder | Bright green shoulder, grey body | White / Black shoulder, white body | Yellow shoulder | Black / White shoulder, white body | French grey | Check supplier | Grey | Black, white text | Bright green shoulder |
| Argon welding mixesAr/CO₂, Ar/O₂ | Bright green shoulder | Bright green shoulder | Not covered | No standard colour | Check supplier | Check supplier | Check supplier | Grey | Not covered | Bright green shoulder |
| Toxic or corrosivehazard class | Yellow shoulder | Yellow shoulder | Not covered | No standard colour | Yellow | White shoulder, white body, golden yellow band | Yellow shoulder | Grey | Light yellow shoulder | Yellow shoulder |
| Flammablehazard class | Red shoulder | Red shoulder | Not covered | No standard colour | Signal red | White shoulder, white body, signal red band | Red shoulder | Grey | Bright red shoulder | Red shoulder |
| Oxidisinghazard class | Light blue shoulder | Light blue shoulder | Not covered | No standard colour | Black | Not covered | Check supplier | Grey | Light blue shoulder | Light blue shoulder |
| Inerthazard class | Bright green shoulder | Bright green shoulder | Not covered | No standard colour | Peacock blue | White | Check supplier | Grey | Dark green shoulder | Bright green shoulder |
The 2006 change. Why old cylinders look different.
Europe moved from national codes to one shoulder code in the 2000s. Cylinders last for decades, so you can still meet old colours, odd repaints and the letter N.
- Before 1997
National codes
Each country had its own scheme. The UK used BS 349, and Germany painted technical oxygen blue.
Sources: BCGA Guidance Note 2 (opens in a new tab) IGV Industriegaseverband (opens in a new tab)
- 1997 to 2004
EN 1089-3 published
A single European shoulder code by hazard. Revised in 2004 and again in 2011.
Sources: BCGA Guidance Note 2 (opens in a new tab) EN 1089-3:2011 catalogue entry (iTeh Standards (opens in a new tab)
- Autumn 2005
Repainting starts
Major suppliers begin repainting shoulders as cylinders come back for refilling.
Sources: University of Manchester safety circular 17/2005 (opens in a new tab) gasworld (opens in a new tab)
- 1 July 2006
Deadline
The harmonised scheme applies across Europe. Repainted cylinders carry an N (for new) twice on the shoulder. Germany kept the N until 2009; the UK never required it.
Sources: University of Manchester safety circular 17/2005 (opens in a new tab) gasworld (opens in a new tab) IGV Industriegaseverband (opens in a new tab) BCGA Technical Information Sheet 6 (opens in a new tab)
- 2006 to 2011
Old stock leaves
Cylinders in the old colours take about five years to work out of circulation.
Sources: University of Manchester safety circular 17/2005 (opens in a new tab) BOC Special Products (opens in a new tab)
- 2016 onwards
White medical bodies
Australia removes the N from medical cylinders. The UK continues converting medical cylinders to white bodies under BCGA policy.
Sources: NSW Health safety notice SN 010/16 (opens in a new tab) BCGA TIS 20 (opens in a new tab) University of Portsmouth (opens in a new tab)
Colour is a clue. The label is the answer.
A cylinder holds a lot of energy in a small space. These basics apply whatever colour it is painted. Always follow the supplier’s safety data sheet and your site rules.
1Read the label every time
The label is the legal identifier. Colours fade, get repainted and differ between suppliers and countries. If the label is missing or unreadable, do not use the cylinder: send it back.
Based on BCGA Technical Information Sheet 6 (opens in a new tab), CGA C-7-2020 (opens in a new tab), BOC New Zealand (opens in a new tab)
2Store upright and secured
Chain or strap cylinders so they cannot fall. Keep them outdoors or in a well-ventilated store, away from heat, drains, exits and vehicle routes. Keep full and empty cylinders apart, and treat empties as full.
Based on Government of Jersey (opens in a new tab), University of Portsmouth (opens in a new tab), HSE INDG297 (opens in a new tab)
3Keep oxygen away from fuel
Store oxygen apart from acetylene, propane and other fuel gases. US rules ask for 6.1 m (20 ft) or a 1.5 m half-hour fire-rated wall; New Zealand guidance gives 3 m or a wall 1 m above the tallest cylinder.
Based on OSHA 29 CFR 1910.253 (opens in a new tab), BOC New Zealand (opens in a new tab), Government of Jersey (opens in a new tab)
4No oil or grease near oxygen
Oxygen can make oil and grease ignite violently. Use only oxygen-rated regulators and hoses, never use oxygen to blow dust off or to freshen the air, and check leaks with a proper oxy-fuel leak spray.
Based on HSE INDG297 (opens in a new tab)
5Acetylene needs extra care
Keep acetylene upright. If it has been laid down, stand it before use (HSE says at least an hour; some suppliers say longer). Keep working pressure at or below 0.62 bar and fit flashback arrestors on both oxygen and fuel lines.
Based on HSE INDG327 (opens in a new tab), HSE INDG297 (opens in a new tab), BOC New Zealand (opens in a new tab)
6Hot or vibrating acetylene: get out
An acetylene cylinder caught in a flashback or fire can start to decompose inside. If it gets hot or vibrates, evacuate and call the fire service.
Based on HSE INDG297 (opens in a new tab)
7Inert gases can suffocate
Nitrogen, argon, helium and CO₂ give no warning. Use them with good ventilation, and fit oxygen or CO₂ alarms where large volumes are used.
8Transport in the open
Use an open vehicle where possible and never carry cylinders in the cab. Close valves, remove regulators, fit caps and strap cylinders upright. A closed van needs proper load-space ventilation.
Based on HSE INDG327 (opens in a new tab), BOC New Zealand (opens in a new tab), Government of Jersey (opens in a new tab)
Plan the job. Then weld it.
Work out how much shielding gas you need, what a run will cost and whether a part is safe to lift, with Tradefox’s welding and fabrication calculators.