Many industrial and laboratory operations require the use of compressed gases for a variety of different operations.
Compressed gases present a unique hazard. Depending on the particular gas, there is a potential for simultaneous exposure to both mechanical and chemical hazards.
Gases may be:
- Flammable or combustible
- Explosive
- Corrosive
- Poisonous
- Inert
- or a combination of hazards
If the gas is flammable, flash points lower than room temperature, compounded by high rates of diffusion, present a danger of fire or explosion. Additional hazards of reactivity and toxicity of the gas, as well as asphyxiation, can be caused by high concentrations of even "harmless" gases such as nitrogen.