AIRTCRAFT PREVENTION OF OXYGEN FIRES OR EXPLOSIONS

Prevention Of Oxygen Fires Or Explosions

Safety precautions for oxygen servicing are similar to those required for fuelling or refuelling an aircraft. The airplane and service cart should be electrically grounded and all vehicles should be kept a safe distance away. There should be no smoking, open flame or items which may cause sparks within 50 feet or more depending upon the ventilation of the area during servicing operations. Since the clothing of a person involved in servicing an oxygen system is likely to be permeated with oxygen, no one should smoke within ten or fifteen minutes after completing the oxygen servicing.

The most important consideration when servic­ing any type of oxygen system is the necessity for absolute cleanliness. The oxygen should be stored in a well ventilated part of the hangar away from any grease or oil, and all high pressure cylinders not mounted on a service cart should be stored upright, out of contact with the ground and away from ice, snow or direct rays of the sun. Protective caps must always be in place to prevent possible damage to the shutoff valve. The storage area for oxygen should be at least 50 feet away from any combustible material or separated from such material by a fire resistant partition. When setting up an oxygen storage area, you should be sure that it meets all of the requirements established by your insurance company and by both Federal and State Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).

Because of the extreme incompatibility of oxygen and any form of petroleum products, it is a good idea to set aside some tools to be used exclusively with oxygen equipment. Any dirt, grease or oil that may be on the tools or on any of the hoses, adapters, cleaning rags, or even on your clothing is a possible source of fire.