Tips for Safe Oxygen Storage and Use

If oxygen is being used by residents in your facility, then you know that it does a wonderful job of helping to manage the symptoms of a number of medical conditions, including COPD, congestive heart failure, lung cancer, emphysema and occupational lung disease. However, oxygen can also be hazardous when not handled and used properly.

Oxygen is not flammable, but fire needs it in order to burn. In an oxygen-rich environment, any fire that starts will burn faster and hotter. Increased oxygen also lowers the temperature at which things will ignite, including hair, clothing, plastic, skin oils, furniture, etc.

The tips below were provided by the FDA with the goal of minimizing the risk of fire when oxygen is in use.1

• Do not allow smoking or burning candles around oxygen.
• Store oxygen in a clean, dry location that is out of direct sunlight.
• Keep oxygen tank post valves, regulators, gauges and fittings away from all combustible substances, including oil, grease, lubricants and rubber.
• Have properly trained staff members handle the operation, cleaning, repairing and transfilling of oxygen equipment.
• Designate special tools for use on oxygen equipment and mark them "Use with Oxygen Equipment Only."
• Make sure that any components added to the regulator do not block the regulator vent holes.
• Use plugs, caps and plastic bags to protect equipment that is not in use.

Additionally, your facility should display "No Smoking" signs anywhere that oxygen is in use and avoid taking residents who use oxygen to the beauty shop because of the potential hazard caused by sitting under hair dryers while wearing oxygen.

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Reference
1 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA and NIOSH Public Health Advisory: Explosions and Fires in Aluminum Oxygen Regulators. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/PublicHealthNotifications/ucm062286.htm. Accessed January 4, 2012.