When dealing with Propane

[gkidsdlite]

I have been wondering if any of you use any safety precautions when changing or checking your propane tanks and lines? There may be some on here that are unaware of the dangers involved. We have to use rubber gloves and safety glasses at work when we change tanks on the forklifts. What advice would some of you give to newbies that may have never had experience with it? I was reading another post and thought this might help someone if it was discussed!

[1retired06]

Guess I am guilty of a lack of safety awareness. All I have done over the years with any propane device is to ensure no open flames.

[DonandBonnie]

Everything in life is a matter of odds and risk. What are the odds of an RV'er being injured by propane while changing a tank? The short burst of pressure as you hook up or remove the gas line from the tank, may blow a foreign particle into an eye. What are the odds of that happening? Liquid propane can cause skin to freeze if contact is made. What are the odds of that happening? At this juncture, you have to assess the level of risk you are willing to assume. Personally I don't feel that the odds of these things happening rise to the risk level that I need gloves and glasses to change the tanks. Your employer on the other hand, for many reasons, liability and insurance cost among them, cannot or will not assume any level of risk, no matter how slight.

[BB_TX]

As noted, insurance and liability in the workplace. And add OSHA to that. There are a lot of requirements in the work environments that just don't happen in everyday life. Who is going to put on safety glasses and gloves to change the propane bottle in their home grill?
In most cases we simply do not know everything that could happen. In many cases, we just ignore them. Employers on the other hand cannot afford to not know them or to ignore them.

[TAKPAK]

(Quote)We have to use rubber gloves and safety glasses at work when we change tanks on the forklifts.

As mentioned, your employer has to take all manner of safety procedures into account, for his own protection. Also, one big difference between our RV's/grills, etc, and the forktrucks/machinery is that the RV's, etc, are a "vapor draw" system/tank, while the fork trucks/machinery are a "liquid draw" system. That liquid is very cold, and will freeze your skin on contact. The vapor, while still dangerous (and cold) isn't quite as bad as the liquid when it hits you. Ever had the doctor use liquid nitrogen to "burn something off your skin? Liquid propane..same principle, except the propane will catch fire!!! I'll admit, I seldom use gloves when changing the RV tanks, but ALWAYS use them when changing the machinery tanks. Learned that one the hard way........sigh!

[Fire5er]

TAKPAK hit the nail on the head...as they say. The difference is the liquid and OSHA (laws and regulations that outline what the owner must do to protect the workers).

[HOOK]

Yes LP is flammable! But, we set it afire at our stove, refrigerator, furnace and water heater. It is very safe! Changing tanks is very safe. Probably the most dangerous thing you do in your RV is when you lite a stove top burner. If you should allow the burner to be on for an extended period before ignition it could be very dangerous.

[Bill and Jan]

We always turn our propane off when driving. If the refrigerator stays cold while driving in Arizona, you shouldn't have to worry in any other part of the country.

[DQDick]

quote:Originally posted by Bill and Jan

We always turn our propane off when driving. If the refrigerator stays cold while driving in Arizona, you shouldn't have to worry in any other part of the country.

We're the same.

[Art-n-Marge]

The best I do is check the fittings with soapy water after connecting/reconnecting and then try out all devices just to ensure the propane is flowing. I use heavy duty gloves for transporting tanks but it's because I don't like the sharp metal handles and edges cutting into my hands. I should probably keep some safety glasses nearby just to complete the safety consideration. Otherwise using propane is pretty safe in my rig.

[MDL]

I don't do anything particularly out of the ordinary. make sure the valve is shut on the tank, verify the regulator is on the new tank, crack the used tank line to relieve the pressure, and then unscrew and remove the tank! Straight forward and very safe. The propane compartment is already ventilated, the door is open, I don't smoke, so I feel it's safe. That said, there are probably safer ways to do this, but I've never been hurt, nor has anyone I know been hurt from changing an RV or BBQ tank. I think it's one of the safest things we do. I think one of the more dangerous is towing our rigs as we only have so much control, and other drivers can seriously impact our safety. Yep, changing the propane tank is pretty low on my safety radar.

[steelpony5555]

LOL LOL this reminds me of a situation we had when I was in the Army. As a Cav unit we had the responsibility of watching the East German border. At our border camp there was a small camper that 2 of our most intelligent NCO's used to bunk in. They didn't wanna bunk in with us commoners. They ran out of propane for the heater and I as the duty driver had to drive 100 miles to the next camp and retrieve a couple of the 100 lb bottles for them. I dropped them off to the 2 nit wits and went to park in the motor pool. Getting out of my jeep the sky lit up, flames shooting up in the nite sky. Went to see and we were all just standing around watching the blow torch of a propane tank. Until someone realized we had Sheridan tank rounds, which have a cardboard casing not brass, stacked 20 feet way. And now the second bottle lit off. It was every man for himself on a dead run in the snow out the front gate lol lol...there were guys running in their underware and socks. I thought maybe I am over reacting, until my Vietnam veteran platoon Sgt. passed me by. I knew I should be way out in front of him lol lol lol.... Well we got lucky, we only lost the trailer. The German fire marshall came to investigate and the 2 nit wits tried to say it was sparks from the wrench. LMAO as the Fire Marshall beat the heck out a tank with the wrench yelling at them "See no spark, no spark" lol lol Well it finally came out that Zippo lighters make lousey flashlights lol lol lol We got lucky cause it could have turned really ugly.

[TAKPAK]

Which goes along with the famous last words......"how much gas do you think is left in the tank?

I dunno, let me light a match and see".........!!!

End of story.........!

[MDL]

Great story, Dave. Thanks for the laugh!

[rickandsandy]

one thing to mention is in cold weather.our new 3750 will arrive friday,before it is put in the heated shop i will remove the propane tanks and leave them outside.cold full propane tanks will vent when warmed up.i have seen many shops burned to the ground because of this

[jsmitfl]

OSHA!!

[DQDick]

I can just picture you guys running in the snow in your tidy whities. Those always end up as the funniest stories as long as no one gets hurt.

[steelpony5555]

Yeah I got dozens of those kind of stories, it's a miracle we all survived the Army. People think I am exaggerating or making them up, but as the saying goes you can't make this stuff up lol lol... I still get together with a couple of buddies from that time and our wives are usually in stitches lol lol.