LPG Cylinder Storage

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LPG Cylinder storage http://explosives.nic.in/pdf/Gas%20cylinder%20Rule%202004.

pdf
Quantity of compressed gas in Minimum distance to be Cylinder kept clear Kg. Metres 0 -- 101 -101 -- 2000 3 2001 -- 3000 4 3001 -- 4000 5 4001 -- 6000 6 6001 -- 8000 7 8001 -- 10000 8 10001 -- 12000 9 12001 -- 20000 12 over 20000 15 Provided that the distance specified above may be reduced by the Chief Controller (i) where

OISD STD 179 TABLE -I INTER DISTANCES FROM BUILDINGS AND OUTER BOUNDARIES TO GAS STORAGE UNITS Total capacity Min. distance from of gas storage units (In litres) buildings and boundaries (In Meters) (1) (2) Up to 4500 4500 to 10000 10000 to 100000 2.5 4.0 10.0

NOTE: If on the side (s) towards the boundary of the installation, the clearance as above is not available, the same may be reduced to 2 meters provided a 4 H-FRR RCC wall of adequate height and length covering the cylinder cascades is constructed at the boundary and adequate clear space is available on the other side of the wall. http://www.flogas.co.uk/gas-safety/storage/ Storage up to 400KG
Quantities of LPG greater than those described above must be kept in a properly constructed store. 1. The storage area should be at least 1m from a site boundary, building etc. unless a fire wall is provided. 2. Only vehicles delivering LPG should be allowed within 1m of the storage area. 3. No opening into buildings, cellars or pits should be within 2m of an LPG storage area. 4. No flammable liquids, combustible, corrosive or oxidising material should be stored within 3m of an LPG store. Compressed oxygen must be kept 10m away from all flammable gases; these include propane, butane and dissolved acetylene. 5. The area should be kept clear of weeds and rubbish.

6. The storage of LPG should not hinder or endanger the means of escape from the premises. 7. The extent of the storage area should be clearly marked and suitable notices displayed prominently (available from Flogas). 8. Appropriate steps should be taken to prevent tampering and vandalism. In many cases it may be appropriate to enclose the storage area in a lockable cage. 9. The same restrictions apply to empty cylinders as to full ones.

Storage above 400KG


For larger storage other safety requirements exist, including the maintenance of a minimum separation distance between cylinder storage and any boundary, building or fixed source of ignition.

This is determined by the total amount of LPG stored and the size of the largest stack of cylinders whichever gives the greatest distance. Total LPG Storage Size of Largest Stack Minimum Separation Distance 15 400kg 400 1000kg 1000 4000kg 1000 1000 1m 3m 4m

Total LPG Storage Size of Largest Stack Minimum Separation Distance 4000 6000kg 6000 12000kg 3000 3000 5m 6m

In certain circumstances this separation distance may be reduced by the use of a radiation wall. Full and empty cylinders should not be stacked together but should be stacked at least 3m apart. By complying with these separation distances and other safety requirements, Flogas are able to store upwards of 200 tonnes of cylinders at our filling terminals. For further information on cylinder storage please consult the UKLPG Code of Practice no.7, available from the UKLPG Association, or get in touch with the Flogas Technical Department.

NEWS Article regarding LPG Storage http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/LPG-godowns-are-ticking-timebombs/articleshow/394402.cms

LPG godowns are ticking time bombs


TNN, Dec 30, 2003, 02.33am IST HYDERABAD: The recent blasts at the Gulf Oil Corporation factory at Kukatpally has sounded a wake up call for several residential areas in the city which have gas godowns. "So far no untoward incident has occurred. Yet, these LPG stations at the centre of residential areas pose a real danger to the people living in the neighbourhood," N Jaya Kumar, a resident of Amberpet said. Another resident of the area said the LPG stations need to be relocated at a distance from the residential complexes so that in case of any mishap the residents remain unharmed. "Whatever be the precautionary measure, a gas godown in a residential colony is like a ticking time bomb," he said. However, the three oil corporations Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPC) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) which use these godowns insist that they follow all precautionary measures in transport and storage of gas cylinders. The safety norms state that for a 12,000-kg godown, a gap of nine metres must be maintained between the storage facility and the nearest building. For a 8,000-kg godown, this distance is seven metres. In both cases, there must be a compound wall around the godown, a Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPC) official said. In a 12,000-kg godown, there would be about 845 full LPG cylinders. These come in various weights 5 kg, 14.2 kg, 19 kg, 35 kg and 47.5 kg. The empty cylinders are sent to the plants for refilling. The 5 kg and 14.2-kg cylinders are distributed for domestic and commercial purposes. About 10 per cent of the cylinders in a godown are checked for leaks, valve conditions and seal. They are re-weighed and distributed, the BPC official said. The LPG from Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Mangalore and Visakhapatnam reach the refilling plant at Cherlapally. From here, oil corporations obtain the gas in bulk and store it. This is then bottled and transported to the godowns for residential or commercial use. In all, there are about 100 LPG godowns in the city, with about 42 distributors for HPC, 14 for BPC and 34 for IOC. 3

Earlier, when the LPG stations were set up, there was enough vacant land around the godowns. The residential complexes sprang up later, HPC and BPC officials said. Now, it's virtually impossible to relocate these godowns. Relocation would mean huge cost escalation and time overruns, the officials said. The LPG stations have licences from the explosives department and the godowns are inspected on an yearly basis. The licenses are renewed once in three years, the officials said. These LPG godowns must have two fire extinguishers and ventilators. These are strictly no-smoking zones. For emergencies, telephone numbers of the nearest fire stations and police station are pasted on the godown walls, they added. The MCH follows certain guidelines for issuing trade licences to these godown owners. The general trade licence is granted only after the owner produces a clearance from the police, the fire service department and a noobjection certificate from the area residents, MCH additional commissioner Dr G Malsur said. No new licences have been issued for LPG godowns in the last 15 years, he said.

In general Industry:
During oxy acetylene cutting work the flying molten metal spark could reach up to 15 to 20Mtrs.distance from cutting work based on the height of work and wind speed/direction. So, storage area surrounding work aspects/activity to be analysed and measures to be taken not only by means of guidelines issued by agencies.

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