Workplace Safety Signaling for Technical and Mixed Gases

The Purpose of Workplace Safety Signaling

Safety signaling is intended to alert workers to potential workplace risks or instruct them on how to avoid these hazards. To be effective, a sign must:

• Attract the attention of the recipient and provide advance notice of the danger.
• Be clear and free of errors.
• Have a single, unambiguous interpretation.
• Convey hazard warnings and information quickly and effectively.

Method and Composition of Signs

Signs use a standardized combination of elements to convey information:

• Geometric Shape
• Safety Color (the primary background color)
• Contrast Color (for the pictogram and text)
• Pictogram (a symbol representing the hazard or instruction)

Types of Safety Signs

• Warning Signs: These signs warn of a risk or danger. They are triangular with a black pictogram on a yellow background.
• Prohibition Signs: These signs prohibit conduct that may pose a hazard. They are round with a black pictogram on a white background, featuring a red border and diagonal line.
• Rescue/First Aid Signs: These signs indicate emergency exits, first aid stations, or rescue equipment. They are rectangular or square with a white pictogram on a green background.
• Fire Safety Signs: These signs identify firefighting equipment. They feature a white pictogram on a red rectangular or square background.

Pipe and Duct Markings

Pipes and ducts must be clearly marked to identify their contents and flow direction.

• They must be marked with a specific color that indicates the fluid they carry.
• Markings should be placed at key connection points, such as valves, and at the entrances and exits of built-in pipes.

Road Transport Regulations for Hazardous Materials

The transport of hazardous materials by road is governed by international regulations, ensuring that a load can be identified even when transported across borders. The vehicle is marked so that in case of an accident, emergency responders know how to act.

Identification is done using orange panels with two numbers:

• Hazard Identification Number: The top number, indicating the type of danger the material poses.
• UN Number: The bottom number, identifying the specific substance and corresponding emergency action protocols.

Gas Container Identification and Safety

If a cylinder contains a mixed gas, its shoulder is divided into quadrants, with each section painted the color corresponding to one of the component gases. To prevent dangerous mix-ups, gas cylinders are designed with output valves that have different thread diameters and rotation directions specific to the gas type.

While welding gases are standardized, companies often use their own trade names, such as Protaras, Arcarox, Helarc1, or Finarca.

Transportation, Warehousing, and Use Standards

Follow these critical safety standards when handling gas cylinders:

• Store cylinders upright and secure them with a chain or strap to prevent falls, which can damage pressurized components.
• Keep cylinders away from all heat sources.
• Ensure they are clearly and correctly labeled to avoid confusion.
• Never repaint a cylinder a different color.
• Do not lift cylinders by the valve or protective cap.
• Open valves slowly and carefully.
• Do not use grease or oil on valves or fittings, as this can cause a violent reaction with some gases like oxygen.