Transportation & Handling

People who do not get enough air naturally have to use supplemental oxygen to help their breathing and improve their quality of life. Oxygen gas that's stored in cylinders is either compressed oxygen gas or liquid oxygen. Follow the government guidelines for transporting these cylinders to be safe

1.Read the manufacturer's instructions located on the label of the cylinder. It contains detailed instructions and precautions that must be taken when handling the oxygen cylinders.

2 Wash your hands of any oil or grease. You should not handle oxygen cylinders with slippery hands

3.Check each cylinder to make sure it is free of leaks and cracks before you load it onto your vehicle. Inspect the area around the valve and the pressure relief device. If the cylinder contains any dents, is gouged or pitted, then you should not handle it. .

4.Place a protective valve cap on each cylinder. Secure and store cylinders in a portable cylinder rack or cart designed to transport cylinders. These carts have locking mechanisms that safely keep cylinders in place in an upright position. The cylinders should not block any aisles or exits. Most importantly, store away from sources of heat and potential sparks.

5.Sit the cylinder tanks in an upright position in crates or boxes if you're transporting oxygen tanks in the cargo compartment of a vehicle. These gas cylinders must be also be free from movement. 

6.Remove all cylinder from your vehicle immediately once you reach your destination.

Liquid Oxygen
Oxygen is an abundant element, and as a gas it comprises more than 20 percent of earth's atmosphere and is necessary for most types of life to survive. However, pure oxygen is a very rare element, since most of earth's oxygen is naturally mixed with other gases and water vapor. But like all elements, the oxygen in the atmosphere is only in a "gas" state, and under the proper conditions it can be converted into a liquid. This requires extremely low temperatures--low enough for the oxygen atoms to lose enough energy and collapse into a fluid state. In this form, oxygen is a cryogenic liquid, with a boiling point below -297 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dangers

• Liquid oxygen has many useful applications, but it is very dangerous to handle. Oxygen is naturally a corrosive agent, and in its liquid form great care must be taken while handling it, since it is both an intense oxidizer and has freezing properties similar to liquid nitrogen. It also facilitates the combustion of substances, causing fires to burn much more easily and more powerfully. This is why liquid oxygen is often used in rocket and jet fuel. This means that allowing outside heat and movement anywhere near the oxygen-charged environment of liquid oxygen can be very hazardous, causing explosions or fires.

In order to transport liquid oxygen, complex tanks are designed with multiple layers so that no outside warmth can penetrate to the cryogenic liquid. A space is created between the inner tank and the outer tank, and air is pumped out of that space, leaving a vacuum between the tank contained the liquid oxygen and the outer protective shell. These tanks are heavily reinforced to prevent cracking or leakage in case of accidents.

Liquid oxygen is less expensive to transport, since it takes up less room, but it usually needs to be converted back to gas to be used. Tanks are not filled completely with liquid oxygen. There is always a warmer space into which the oxygen immediately evaporates. This means that that top part of an oxygen tank is always filled with pure oxygen gas. A series of valves and tubes allows intermittent access to this top area, letting the gas flow away and be replaced by more evaporating oxygen.

Safety Practices

• Oxygen tanks are required to be inspected before they are transported, and the tanks must meet guidelines that specify safety precautions, temperatures and piping designs. They should always be stored in an upright position, and of course there can be no signs of wear or corrosion.