European harmonisation of compressed gas cylinder colours means that oxygen cylinders, for example, will change from black to white; a chart of the new standard colours is available from BOC
BOC, the industrial and special gases company, is changing the identification colours of its gas cylinders as part of a European move to make gases and their associated hazards easy to identify.
The move comes ahead of an EU regulation (BS EN1089-3) due in July 2006, which directs all compressed gas producers to implement a harmonised cylinder colour identification scheme for industrial and special gases.
All BOC products, including its range of industrial, special, hospitality and medical gases, will be covered by the new standard.
Changing all its cylinder colours is a huge undertaking and the process is expected to take five years to complete for some cylinder types.
The new colour coding applies solely to the shoulder or curved part at the top of the cylinder and is used to either identify the gas or the properties of the gas inside.
Two shoulder colours may be used where a gas has more than one property, so nitrogen dioxide, for example, being toxic and oxidising, will carry yellow and light blue bands on the cylinder shoulder.
The changeover for BOC special products cylinders begins this autumn and, given the number of cylinders in circulation, is expected to take five years to fully implement.
The new colours will be seen on the majority of newly delivered cylinders within a few months.
New gas hazard colours include:.
Bright green - inert gases including neon and krypton.
Light blue - oxidising gases such as nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide.
Yellow - toxic and/or corrosive gases such as ammonia and chlorine.
Red - flammable gases such as hydrogen.
Key gases affected by the change include:.
Argon - from light blue to dark green.
Carbon dioxide - from black to grey.
Helium - changed tone of brown.
Nitrous oxide - from manila to blue.
Oxygen - from black to white.
BOC director of special products Mike Dennis said: "The safe use and handling of gas is a priority for BOC and ensuring the safety of our customers always begins with clear cylinder identification, backed up by regular safety training and testing of our cylinder products.
"With a range of over 22,000 pure gas and special gas mixtures supplied to a variety of industries, quick identification is crucial and requires a combination of clear labelling and recognised colours to alert all who use gas to the appropriate safety measures.
"Throughout the UK and continental Europe a range of differing colour IDs have been used to identify the estimated 40 million cylinders in circulation.
"BOC believes harmonisation will go a long way to ensuring safety with gas is made easier for all".
The change to BOC's cylinder shoulders will be accompanied by a range of new body colours for its scientific gas mixtures to distinguish between standard accuracy, high accuracy, medical and high purity gases.
BOC has issued new cylinder colour charts for quick and easy reference and has written to over 9000 regular customers notifying them of the change.
For further advice on these changes and to obtain copies of the cylinder colour change charts contact BOC using the links provided.
