4 Essential Propane Safety Tips
Posted on: 4 July 2016
Propane is dangerous and extra care is required when handling it. Propane is a combustible gas that can cause fires, and asphyxiation if large amounts are inhaled. Here are four safety tips to keep yourself safe around propane:
1. Know the signs of a leak
When you're working with propane, you need to be able to recognize the signs of a propane leak. If you detect a leak, immediately go to your propane tank and close the valve. Contact the fire department or a propane technician. Here are the signs of a leak:
- Foul smell, like sulfur or rotting eggs
- The smell of gas or rotten eggs that persists for longer than one minute after you open your propane tank valve
- Hissing sound coming from the propane tank or lines
- You experience signs of propane poisoning
2. Recognize propane poisoning symptoms
If there's a propane leak, you may not always notice a bad smell or a hissing sound. Sometimes, the only way you recognize a leak is by developing symptoms of propane poisoning. If you recognize symptoms in yourself or others, turn off the propane supply, evacuate the building, and contact the fire department and medical services right away. Here is a list of symptoms:
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Nervousness or anxiety
- Clumsiness
- Rapid heart rate and breathing
- Confusion
3. Prevent fires
Propane is a flammable gas that is safe to use as long as certain precautions are taken. Here are some guidelines on preventing fires when working with propane:
- Keep combustible material like dead or dry leaves, branches, paper, cardboard, and packaging away from the propane tank.
- Do not apply an open flame to the tank or lines.
- Extinguish open flames if you smell a foul odor.
- Do not drop, hit, or roll the tank.
- Have a licensed technician inspect your propane tank and lines every year.
4. Have necessary safety equipment
When using propane, you need to have certain safety features present so that you can stay safe. Here are important safety features and equipment you need when working with propane:
- Have a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket nearby.
- Have a fire suppression system, like sprinklers. The system should be tested and inspected once a year by the fire department.
- Have operating smoke detectors. Test your detectors at least once a month.
- Have a propane gas detector in case your tank leaks and there is no smell.
- Have a carbon monoxide detector so that a propane leak gets detected before you get sick.
These are four ways you can stay safe when working with propane. Contact a licensed propane technician, like Sunrise Cooperative Inc, for more information.
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