Oxygen, Acetylene & LPG—Do You Comply?
I would like to thank all the CMPA members that responded to our article in the last CMPA newsletter.
The response was overwhelming, with many of you expressing concern over the safety of your oxy, acetylene, and LPG equipment.
So, how do you know if your company is currently meeting the required regulations? What do you have to do to comply?
Without having a first-hand look at your site, it is difficult to answer these questions as each site has unique safety requirements. I will try however to give you a brief overview of your obligations regarding oxy, acetylene and LPG equipment.
Oxygen, Acetylene, LPG and ARGON are classed as dangerous goods. Because these gases are classed in this category, your company has to comply with the following:
- Occupational Health and Safety Act 1985
- Dangerous Goods Act 1985 section 31.1 (a) + (b)
- Dangerous Goods (storage and handling) regulations 2000 part 4 section 401 to 447
- Code of Practice Storage and Handling of Dangerous Goods No. 27 December 2000 Part 3
It doesn’t matter if you have one set or twenty, or if you have had your equipment without incident for ten years – these regulations and obligations apply to you.
The Dangerous Goods Regulations 2000 and the Code of Practice state that the first thing you can do to ensure a safe workplace is to have a technically qualified professional carry out a hazard and risk assessment on your oxy, acetylene and LPG equipment and its storage and use. Another good idea would be to contact your gas supplier and ask them for a Material Safety Data Sheet for all the different gases you carry on your site.
If you have any questions regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
David Crosby
OH&S Manager
Quantec Solutions
0425 768 094
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