Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation issues compressed cylinder safety manual

The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) has released a new manual outlining the requirements and procedures for handling compressed cylinders. This initiative, led by the corporation’s Occupational Safety, Health, and Environmental Protection Department, aims to enhance safety standards, protect the environment, and ensure operational consistency across petroleum sector companies.

The manual provides strict guidelines for supplier management, recommending the immediate termination of contracts with non-compliant suppliers. It calls for a comprehensive audit of all manufacturing and supply companies, as well as the inspection of current inventories to ensure compliance with technical specifications.

Key safety protocols detailed in the guide include:

• Safe storage practices, such as protecting valves from impact, separating different cylinder types, ensuring proper ventilation, and providing thermal and electrical insulation. • Safe handling and transport mechanisms to prevent accidents. • Operational requirements, including the mandatory use of personal protective equipment, the use of approved pressure regulators and connections, and maintaining cylinders in a vertical position. • Prohibitions against catastrophic errors, such as using compressed gas to power pneumatic tools, heating cylinders to increase pressure, or using oil and grease with oxygen-sensitive cylinders.

The guide also emphasizes the necessity of continuous hydrostatic testing, which must be conducted exclusively by accredited entities.