• Gas cylinders must be stored safely.old oxygen cylinder image by cegli from Fotolia.com
  
  Compressed gas is gas kept in a compressed cylinder, which allows the gas to be stored in small spaces and be released at high speed when needed. Compressed gas can be very dangerous, since contents under pressure can be flammable or explosive or cause the cylinder to move in a dangerous or unpredictable way.
  
  

Employer Inspection

• All compressed gas cylinders located at a particular place of work must be inspected by the employer to ensure the cylinder is safe, according to the United States Department of Labor. The employer is only liable for problems with the compressed gas cylinder that can be ascertained through a visual inspection.
  
  

Safety Guidelines

• When using compressed gas, all of the safety guidelines outlined by the Compressed Gas Association Pamphlet must be followed, according to the United States Department of Labor. All hazards that are likely to cause injury or death must be prevented by the employer.
  
  

Equipment

• All compressed gas cylinders must have safety release devices installed on the cylinders. These safety release devices must undergo regular maintenance to ensure they are functioning properly, according to the United States Department of Labor. All drains, handholds and manholes must be easily accessible by employees. Drains and traps must be available to employees for the accumulation of air and oil. All of the compressed gas cylinders must have pressure gauges.
  
  

Labeling

• All of the contents contained in the compressed gas cylinder must be clearly outlined so that any employee using the cylinder can know what gases are contained at all times, according to Virginia Commonwealth University. The label should not be removed from the compressed gas cylinder at any time. Labels that become defaced must be marked as "contents unknown," and the manufacturer must be contacted to identify what the contents are.
  
  

Secure

• When transporting compressed gas cylinders, these cylinders must always be securely fastened so they do not fall and become damaged. These cylinders must always be in a cylinder cart and have safety caps placed on top of them, according to Virginia Commonwealth University. Only one cylinder should be moved by hand at a time.
  
  

Location

• Cylinders should always be secured when stored and cylinders with liquefied flammable gas must always be stored upright. The cylinders must never be used for any purpose other than storing and supplying gas, according to Virginia Commonwealth University. The cylinders must always be kept away from electrical circuits, flames, sparks and other things that could ignite the cylinder.