Safety is critical in an acetylene manufacturing plant. Here is a post with 10 guidelines to help you in ensuring safe working conditions.

1. 10 Safety
Procedures in
Acetylene
Manufacturing
Plants
- R E X A R C I N T E R N A T I O N A L
W W W . R E X A R C . C O M

2. Introduction
Incorporation of methods ensuring safety of employees and equipment is
extremely important in any plant. This becomes even more important
when dealing with acetylene manufacturing plants due to the presence of
volatile gases. Two main reasons for employing safety procedures are:
# To ensure physical safety of all plant employees as well as
people located around the plant.
# To protect the plant and its physical components like
machinery, raw materials, etc.
The job of ensuring overall safety of the plant by looking into the tiniest
details is the responsibility of acetylene plant owners. Extra precautions
have to be taken to ensure safety with equipment handling critical
procedures.

3. Safety Procedure #1: QUALITY
PRODUCTS
i. The easiest way to ensure safety is to use quality products.
Collaborating with an acetylene plant manufacturer of positive reputation
will allow you to rely on your product.
ii. Choose an acetylene plant manufacturer who:
# Uses exceptional raw materials
# Employs best practices in terms of manufacturing and component
selection
# Ensures that the overall construction of the product is robust
# Has rigorous quality and testing procedures in place
iii. Collaborating with industry experts will ensure use of technologies and
processes that are well-known and dependable. The products developed
by them have been able to stand the test of time ensuring increased
reliability.

4. Safety Procedure #2: COMPATIBLE
PRODUCTS
i. Product compatibility is of immense importance. Only the machinery
that has been designed to handle acetylene should be used. This is a
precautionary step that will keep acetylene from reacting with parts of the
machine. Using the right machinery, components, and raw materials will
ensure a safer working environment.

5. Safety Procedure #3: MAINTENANCE
i. Regular maintenance of all equipment is mandatory for safe operation
on a day-to-day basis.
ii. The best maintenance practices dictate that an organization should
conduct regular maintenance procedures.
iii. Consider incorporating proactive as well as reactive maintenance
processes.

6. Safety Procedure #4: HEAT
i. The overall temperature of the generator should never cross 175 ºF.
Cooling systems can be used to ensure safe operating temperatures.
ii. To mitigate risk, cylinder storage areas should be placed far enough
from the plant to be unaffected by an explosion, excess heat, leak, or fire
resulting in the acetylene manufacturing plant.
iii. Follow manufacturer guidelines in terms of optimum operating and
environment temperatures.

7. Safety Procedure #5: SET-UP
CONSIDERATIONS
i. Acetylene plant explosions have caused major destruction to life and
property. Hence, most acetylene plant owners will/ should set up their
operations far from developed areas.
ii. This precautionary step could help in saving lives in the event of a
disaster. It is important to take this into consideration irrespective of the
number of safety procedures and systems employed in an acetylene
plant.

8. Safety Procedure #6: SAFETY
EQUIPMENT
i. Safety equipment and gear should be made available to all employees.
ii. Safety and regulatory equipment should be installed throughout the
acetylene plant operations. Several safety products related to acetylene
production are available in the market.
iii. For example, in acetylene plants, there is a high chance of an explosion
or fire being caused by a spark resulting from a flashback. This can be
avoided by installing a flashback arrester.
iv. Pressure relief devices are also good examples of safety equipment
used in acetylene plants to prevent an explosion. These devices help
reduce pressure build-up.

9. Safety Procedure #7: SAFETY
METHODS
i. The NFPA, EIGA, JIGA, and other global standards have outlined several
systems to help prevent fire as well as procedures to be followed in case
of a fire.
ii. Acetylene production plants should stock the equipment needed to
fight fire in plain view of all employees.
iii. Systems should be in place to alert employees of a fire as well as guide
them to a safe location.
iv. For example, fire alarms, sprinklers, fire extinguishers, etc. should be
installed at convenient locations throughout the plant. Emergency exits
should be marked clearly.

10. Safety Procedure #8: TRAINING
i. Regular training sessions should be conducted on safe use of
operational systems.
ii. Employees should also be educated about the best practices to
adhere to during regular operations as well as in emergency situations.
iii. Dealing with emergency situations like evacuation protocol,
firefighting methods, usage of firefighting equipment, etc. is extremely
important for employees working in acetylene plants.

11. Safety Procedure #9: SAFETY WITH
ACETYLENE CYLINDERS
i. Acetylene cylinders should always be handled with extreme care and
caution.
ii. Any damage to the outer body of the cylinder could result in potentially
life threatening situations. Even the components of the cylinder like the
fuse plug should be intact at all times.
iii. If an acetylene cylinder is dropped or gets dented, it could result in
leaking. Since acetylene gas is extremely flammable, it is important
to separate and store the cylinders in a safe location that is away from the
plant operations immediately.

12. Safety Procedure #9: SAFETY WITH
ACETYLENE CYLINDERS
iv. Empty acetylene cylinders could contain some residual acetylene in
them. Hence, the above-mentioned precautions should be followed even
when transporting or storing empty acetylene cylinders.

13. Safety Procedure #10:
TRANSPORTING ACETYLENE
CYLINDERS
i. When transporting acetylene cylinders, ensure that they remain in
the upright position at all times.
ii. This will keep the possibility of the gas leaking out to a minimum.
iii. Acetylene cylinders should never be stored in damp conditions.

14. Summary
Setting up and running an acetylene plant is a complex and detail
oriented process. It is best practice to seek out experts in the field of
acetylene equipment supply, safety, and operations.
Some organizations that can provide guidelines include OSHA, ISO, NFPA,
EIGA, etc., but there is no substitute for having qualified personnel
complete field training. Implementing and enforcing safety procedures
will not only help the plant run properly, it will also provide assurance to
customers and investors.

15. Contact Us
Rexarc International, Inc.
35 East Third Street
West Alexandria, OH 45381
www.rexarc.com
Phone: 1-937-839-4604
Fax: 1-937-839-5897
Email:info@rexarc.com