Safety and Dangerous Goods Transportation. Gas Agents Manual 2009

Transcription

1 Gas Agents Manual Safe Handling of Cylinders Loading/Unloading Pallets Securing/Releasing Cylinders in Pallets Securing Cylinders with Webbing Straps and Ratchets 19 4 Safety and Dangerous Goods Transportation

2 4.1 Safe Handling of Cylinders Adopt correct handling procedure The safety record on the use of gas cylinders is very good. However, familiarity may breed contempt, and this is the danger for the experienced operator. For the new operator it is important to adopt the correct handling procedures right from the start. Safe handling of cylinders This section on Safe Handling of Cylinders is a guide, based on extensive experience, for the safe handling of cylinders containing industrial gases at high pressure. It cannot list every possible safeguard, and must be supplemented by caution and common sense on the part of the individual. It is recommended that all personnel that are likely to handle compressed gas be particularly conversant with the contents of this document. All users must know and understand the properties of the gas they are using and the correct operating procedures for the equipment being used with the gas. Contact your Customer Services Team (Technical) on in New Zealand or phone in Australia. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are available from: BOC website in Australia or in New Zealand. Gas Agent Services. See: Gas Agent Services Contact Numbers (Australia). Customer Services. See Distributor Partner Services Contact Numbers (New Zealand). From your BOC Sales Representative. HSNO folder (New Zealand only). For more information on the safe handling and storage of cylinders refer to AS The Storage and Handling of Gases in Cylinders and AS/NZS 4332:2004 Classification of Hazardous Areas Examples of Area Classification. BOC accepts no liability for the incorrect choice of equipment. This information is a guide only. It is the responsibility of the purchaser to ensure they have sought professional advice in relation to the use of products in a particular environment. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document containing important information about a hazardous substance. The Material Safety Data Sheet provides employers, self-employed persons, employees and other health and safety representatives with necessary information to safely manage the risk from hazardous substance exposure. It is important that everyone in the workplace knows how to read and interpret a Material Safety Data Sheet. You must have in your possession the current BOC Material Safety Data Sheets for the gases you are using, together with the operating instructions for the equipment. Appropriate Material Safety Data Sheets are to be provided when new products are sold to customers, or in the initial instance a customer purchases products from BOC. 13

3 4.2 Loading/Unloading Pallets Purpose The purpose of this section is to provide general requirements for loading/unloading cylinders into/out of pallets. This section applies to BOC South Pacific and is relevant to all personnel involved in loading/unloading cylinders onto/out of pallets. USE OF SORT EDGES FOR LOADING/UNLOADING Sort Edges A sort edge is a platform, which is at the same height as the pallet floor. Use sort edges where possible, to load/unload cylinders onto/from pallets in order to: Allow for easier cylinder movement. Reduce the likelihood of cylinders toppling if the pallet is nudged by a forklift truck. Position of Pallets on Sort Edges Ensure that pallets are positioned flush against sort edges. Gaps left between the pallet and sort edge result in an uneven surface and are a tripping hazard. Gaps Between Pallets When placing pallets on the sort edge, leave a small gap between each pallet to prevent bumping neighbouring pallets and dislodging cylinders. Enable the use of J hooks to locate straps, enable inspection of webbing strap and ensure that the webbing strap is not placed over a neighbouring pallet. Note: The gap should not be large enough to allow pedestrian access between pallets. Sort Edges Unavailable If a sort edge is not available, cylinders may be loaded and unloaded using an approved ramp. Ramps provide a continuous surface (suitable for cylinder trundling) between two levels. The ramp surface should be textured to reduce the likelihood of a cylinder slipping. The ramp gradient must be small enough to allow for controlled cylinder descent or comfortable ascent, and prevent slipping. LOADING CYLINDERS INTO PALLETS Loading Requirements When loading/unloading cylinders into and out of pallets, adopt the correct trundling techniques. Edge rolling, trundling or churning are terms used to describe moving cylinders a short distance, usually no more than about 15 metres. This is done by tilting and rolling on the base edge or base ring of the cylinder. It is a technique that requires a high level of coordination and should be restricted to experienced and trained operators. Note: Particular care must be taken with special gas cylinders (especially those fitted with net protection sleeves) to avoid paintwork damage, when loading and unloading. Extra care must be taken: In wet conditions, as the pallet floor may be slippery. If the ground is not level or on a slope. General guidelines for loading cylinders into pallets are as follows: Round bottom cylinders must not be loaded into standard pallets. 1. Clear debris such as old labels, shrink-wrap and caps from pallets before loading cylinders. 2. Ensure that the floor provides a smooth, level and safe loading surface. 3. Load cylinders centrally within the pallet. 4. Pallets should preferably be loaded with cylinders of the same size, however, if this is not practical, see Mixed Cylinder Loads. 5. Cylinders must not overhang the base of the pallet. 6. Part loads should be loaded, as far as practical, in a central position towards the rear of pallet for reduced manual handling effort and stability of the pallet. 14

4 4.2 Loading/unloading pallets (continued) 7. A cylinder must not be placed on top of the valve of another cylinder as this may cause damage to the valve. 8. Cylinders should not be stacked directly on top of each other in a pallet unless the cylinder is designed with a base, which engages into the valve shroud of another cylinder. Examples of Mixed Loads Examples of pallets loaded with cylinders of mixed sizes are shown below. Note: The front cylinders should be at least half as tall as the ones in the back, so as to lock them in properly with the straps. Pallet loaded with G and E sized cylinders No more than two layers of cylinders stacked in this manner should be placed in the pallet. See also Small Cylinder Loads. 9. All cylinders must be secured in the pallet with two webbing straps. Pallet loaded with E and D sized cylinders Mixed Cylinder Loads Mixed Cylinders Mixing varying cylinder heights in a pallet should be avoided wherever possible. However, if mixing cylinder sizes is necessary, the following requirements must be followed: 1. Ensure that the load is stable. 2. Place taller cylinders at the back of the pallet with shorter cylinders placed against the taller cylinders. 3. Do not place small cylinders amongst larger cylinders. This is not a safe method of securing small cylinders due to a risk of the cylinders becoming dislodged during transit. Pallet loaded with D and C sized cylinders (AUS) 15

5 4.2 Loading/unloading pallets (continued) Small Cylinder Loads Loading Small Cylinders Accidents have occurred where small cylinders have not been properly loaded and secured, and have subsequently been ejected from pallets while being transported by road. If the cylinders are not restrained correctly, they may also fall out of pallets while being transported by forklift trucks. 1. Gated/caged pallets should be used for small cylinders. Do not use basic pallets unless they are configured for use with small cylinders. 2. Use the internal strap to secure small cylinders in caged pallets wherever possible. 3. Always ensure the cylinders are upright in the pallet. 4. Cylinders shorter than 600 mm do not need to be secured by a webbing strap in caged pallets provided they are densely loaded so that they cannot fall over. 5. If available, use wine rack type pallets (known as sloper pallets in New Zealand) for cylinders requiring high presentation standards, e.g. Medical or Sureflow. Wine rack pallets are also ideal for small cylinders with round bottoms. A wine rack pallet should be used in preference to a caged pallet, as they can transport a larger number of cylinders. 6. When small cylinders are placed horizontally in or out of a wine rack pallet, care must be taken not to open the valve by knocking or by hand grip. 7. Cylinders in wine rack pallets should not protrude from the front face as this may form a snagging hazard in the vehicle aisle or may result in cylinder valve damage when the pallet is parked up against another or a wall. Correctly loaded pallet of small cylinders Stacking Small Cylinders Stacking Small Cylinders Vertically Small cylinders without interlocking valve guards/foot rings can only be stacked on top of each other vertically when: Suitable wooden boards are used to separate the base of one cylinder from the top of another. Layer separation boards must bear on the tops of valve guards and not on the tops of cylinder valves. No more than two layers of cylinders may be placed in a pallet, (i.e. only one separation board may be used per pallet). Double stacked small cylinders in a standard pallet must have webbing secured per layer of cylinders, (i.e. use two webbing straps). Correctly loaded pallet with the use of boards Incorrectly loaded pallet Stacking Small Cylinders Horizontally The preferred method of stacking small cylinders horizontally is in a wine rack (AUS)/sloper pallet (NZ). Where a wine rack/sloper pallet is not available, small cylinders may be stacked horizontally when: Placed in a caged pallet. Strapping and boards are used to help secure load as appropriate. The height stacked does not exceed the enclosed sides of the pallet. Additional care is taken on loading not to cause injury through straining or finger trap and that damage is not caused to the cylinder finish or its valve. 16

6 4.2 Loading/unloading pallets (continued) Small cylinders loaded into a wine rack pallet Incorrectly loaded cage Requirements for unloading cylinders out of pallets General requirements for unloading cylinders from pallets are as follows: 1. Take care when releasing the ratchet and webbing strap. See: Securing and Releasing Cylinders in Pallets. 2. When removing a cylinder, be careful not to knock adjacent cylinders as this may cause them to topple. 3. Beware of trapping fingers between cylinders. 4. Remove medium and large cylinders one at a time. 5. Due to the close confines of the pallet, medium/large cylinders may not be able to be removed by trundling/churning. In these cases, the cylinder should be removed by rotating/shuffling the cylinder out of the pallet and/or rocking the cylinder by leveraging off the bodies of adjacent cylinders. 6. Small cylinders may be removed from the pallet by lifting, subject to local manual handling assessment. 17

7 4.3 Securing/Releasing Cylinders in Pallets The purpose of this section is to provide general requirements for securing and releasing cylinders in pallets with the use of a webbing strap and ratchet pallet. The intended audience is all personnel involved in loading/unloading cylinders into/out of pallets. Ratchets Tightening a ratchet The preferred way to tighten a ratchet is to stand: Legs apart - one in front of the other. Back straight and knees slightly bent. Left hand on strap. Right hand on ratchet. Tighten ratchet by pulling, using leg muscles and rocking back from one foot to another. When the strap is snug, three more clicks of the ratchet is all that is required to secure the load. Note: Do not over tighten the ratchet someone else has to open it. Tightening the top strap Jammed Ratchets If the ratchet is jammed, keep hands well out of the way of the ratchet, (i.e. holding the end of the handle as shown in the photo above). If hands are in the way of the ratchet and it suddenly releases, it could cut a hand or break fingers. Using excessive force on ratchets Always ensure the ratchets are fully engaged and closed. Do not use excessive force on the ratchet. If excessive force has to be used then the ratchet should be lubricated. If the lubrication fails to loosen the ratchet, the webbing should be cut and the ratchet replaced. Lubrication Oxygen can react with most metals and alloys, plastics, elastomers, and natural organic materials. These reactions range from mild oxidations with little accumulation of heat to fires and violent explosions. Lubrication must not be performed where there is any risk of the lubricant entering or contaminating a cylinder valve. If using a lubricant to loosen a ratchet, avoid contamination of gloves and cylinder valves. Tightening ratchets for small cylinders Employ the same basic principles when tightening ratchets on pallets containing small cylinders, or tightening the bottom strap. Knees bent. Legs apart - one in front of the other. Back straight and kneeling down close to the ratchet. Left hand on strap. Right hand on ratchet. Tightening the bottom strap Ratchets must only be lubricated with an approved oxygen compatible lubricant, such as dry PTFE spray. Ratchet Tightening Technique Awkward locations The following techniques should be followed when tightening a ratchet: Do not over tighten the ratchet. This causes problems for the person who opens the ratchet, which may result in a strain injury. Note: If a pallet is in a location where the correct ratchet techniques cannot be used, move the pallet to a position where it is possible. 18

8 4.4 Securing Cylinders with Webbing Straps and Ratchets Strap twisted in the ratchet mechanism If slack webbing is trapped between the pallet and the dock edge, move the pallet. Do not pull on the trapped webbing. Step/Action 1. Inspect the pallet frame and webbing straps, especially at the anchor points. Any pallet returned to site with a strap missing or frayed more than 5 mm must be tagged and sent to maintenance. 9. Engage the mating hook of the fixed strap around the bar on the ratchet. Frayed more than 5 mm 10. Tension the ratchet strap correctly. Pull the webbing through the roller to take up the slack. 2. Keep straps inside the pallet frame. 3. Do not pass straps through adjacent pallet sides. 4. Locate the straps to centralise the load as far as practicable. Make use of the pallet J hooks/anchor hooks to wrap the straps around if necessary. Keep the straps tight to prevent slackening. 5. The upper webbing strap must be secured first to prevent the possibility of the taller cylinders falling while securing the shorter cylinders. Note: The upper strap should be secured approximately level with the anchor points. Securing the straps at an excessive angle allows the potential for strap slippage and loosening. 6. When securing small cylinders only, secure the small cylinders with the lower strap and also fasten the top strap. 7. Keep the upper strap approximately two-thirds up the height of the cylinder. For tall cylinders, keep the top strap level with anchor points and use J hooks to raise the bottom strap. For short cylinders, use J Hooks to lower the strap height. Keep the straps straight and level to prevent them from slipping down and loosening. 8. Ensure the strap is not twisted in the ratchet mechanism. Twisting of the strap can prevent it from becoming fully tightened, as the twisted part of the strap may become caught up in the ratchet mechanism. 11. Lift the locking latch to operate the handle back and forth until the webbing is properly tensioned. 12. Tighten the ratchet to securely hold the cylinders, but care should be taken not to over tighten the ratchet. When the strap is snug, the ratchet requires three clicks to secure the load. Note: A minimum of two wraps of webbing material should be used around the ratchet spindle for secure tightening. 13. Do not leave ratchet handles in the open position as they may become damaged when parking the pallet against a wall or up against another pallet. 14. Wrap any slack around the rest of the webbing strap or place inside the pallet. Surplus webbing left trailing on the ground creates a tripping hazard and may also become trapped when lowering the pallet to the ground. Neatly wrapped slack webbing 19

9 4.4 Securing cylinders with webbing straps and ratchets (continued) 15. Fasten the straps around the posts on empty pallets as this allows easy identification of any malfunction of the ratchet mechanism before the pallet is loaded with cylinders. 16. Do not lay the webbing straps over neighbouring pallets. This may cause the straps to get caught when moving neighbouring pallets. 4.5 releasing CYLINDERS FROM WEBBING STRAPS AND RATCHETS Bunched Webbing If the webbing strap is bunched up, the ratchet mechanism will be stiff to operate. Open the ratchet fully and gently tug to release the bunched webbing and then pull the webbing through. If the webbing cannot be released from the ratchet, tag the webbing as defective to be replaced by Maintenance. 4. Carefully move the webbing aside. If the pallet is to remain idle, the strap and ratchet should be parked on the storage hooks provided to prevent them from becoming a tripping hazard or becoming damaged on the floor. Correctly parked ratchet Incorrectly parked ratchet Pull webbing away from ratchet Step/Action 1. Remove the lower ratchet first to reduce the risk of cylinders falling over. 2. Carefully release the tension in the webbing by disengaging the ratchet s locking latch via the finger operated sliding plate and opening the ratchet by means of the handle. Leave the ratchet engaged with the mating hook and the webbing loosely wrapped around the load. Note: Where a ratchet is too stiff, it may be lubricated using an approved lubricating spray providing care is taken to ensure no lubricant can enter a cylinder valve outlet. Disengage locking latch and push handle up through 180 to release fail-safe mechanism 3. Ensure that the load appears and feels stable and then pull sufficient slack webbing through the ratchet to enable it to disengage from its mating hook. 5. Check that the webbing, hook or ratchet is not wrapped over a neighbouring pallet. 6. If an empty pallet is to be moved, fasten the straps around the posts to prevent damage to the ratchet and straps during transport. DOG AND CHAIN PALLETS BOC is in the final stages of withdrawing Dog and Chain Pallets, and their use should be avoided. Any pallets that are found should be returned immediately to BOC for upgrading. 20