Major revision of key safety code for the specialty gases sector

New safety guidance for best practice in the use of specialty gases - Code of Practice 18 "Gas supply and distribution systems, specialty gases" (CP 18) - has undergone a significant revision by the British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA). 

Specialty gases are used in a wide range of environments, including instrument calibration, process control and high-quality manufacturing, as well as academia and laboratories.

Jake Lake, Technical Manager of the BCGA said: “Specialty gases are vital to academia, industry and laboratories and they are handled and used every day without incident, but to ensure that they continue to be safe there is specific legislation in place, as well as supporting guidance.CP 18 references the appropriate legislation and sets out best practice for managing and distributing them.

“Specialty gases have a defined purity level or have properties which include being pyrophoric, toxic or corrosive. They may have an increased quality management requirement or a wider variety of hazardous properties which consequently require specific design features and safety controls.

“To manage the hazards, maintain the required properties of these safely and in accordance with the relevant quality system, there are specific requirements for the equipment used and installed and the controls required.

“CP 18 provides best practice for the selection, assembly and operation of pressure equipment and systems to manage specialty gases. It includes the design, construction, installation, putting into service and operation of such systems, as well as guidance on modification (including an addition) to an existing system as well as disposal.

“The Code applies to the physical location where a specialty gas is delivered at the required conditions, for example, pressure, temperature, quality and flow, at the junction with the User process. It also outlines safety principles and guidance for the storage and handling of specialty gases and their containers, as well as guidance on disposal – and can assist users in formulating their design and operation policies and practices for the management of specialty gases.

BCGA’s Code Of Practice 18, “Gas supply and distribution systems, speciality gases,” is available for free download.

More information online