Gas bottles & cylinders storage
How to store your
gas cylinders
Small Storage/ Display
(in shops etc/ up to 70kg)
No more than five bottles should be allowed on display with total contents no more than 70kg.
Bottles larger than 20kg should not be displayed in shops eg 47kg cylinders
If the shop is below residential premises then no more than 15kg should be stored/ displayed.
No more than four bottles should be connected for demonstrating at any one time (total weight no more than 50kg).
Do not display on staircases, near emergency exits or near to flammable materials.
Bottles must be treated as FULL unless they are dummy bottles or have been certified as gas free. Only five cylinders are allowed – even if some of them are empty.
Storage up to 400KG
Quantities of LPG greater than those described above must be kept in a properly constructed store.
The storage area should be at least 1m from a site boundary, building etc. unless a fire wall is provided.
Only vehicles delivering LPG should be allowed within 1m of the storage area.
No opening into buildings, cellars or pits should be within 2m of an LPG storage area.
No flammable liquids, combustible, corrosive or oxidising material should be stored within 3m of an LPG store. Compressed oxygen must be kept 10m away from all flammable gases; these include propane, butane and dissolved acetylene.
The area should be kept clear of weeds and rubbish.
The storage of LPG should not hinder or endanger the means of escape from the premises.
The extent of the storage area should be clearly marked and suitable notices displayed prominently (available from Flogas).
Appropriate steps should be taken to prevent tampering and vandalism. In many cases it may be appropriate to enclose the storage area in a lockable cage.
The same restrictions apply to empty cylinders as to full ones.
Storage above 400KG
For larger storage other safety requirements exist, including the maintenance of a minimum separation distance between cylinder storage and any boundary, building or fixed source of ignition.
This is determined by the total amount of LPG stored and the size of the largest stack of cylinders / whichever gives the greatest distance.
| Total LPG Storage | Size of Largest Stack | Minimum Separation Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 15 – 400kg | – | 1m |
| 400 – 1000kg | 1000 | 3m |
| 1000 – 4000kg | 1000 | 4m |
| 4000 – 6000kg | 3000 | 5m |
| 6000 -12000kg | 3000 | 6m |
In certain circumstances this separation distance may be reduced by the use of a radiation wall.
Full and empty cylinders should not be stacked together but should be stacked at least 3m apart.
By complying with these separation distances and other safety requirements, Flogas are able to store upwards of 200 tonnes of cylinders at our filling terminals.
For further information on cylinder storage please consult the UKLPG Code of Practice no.7, available from the UKLPG Association, or get in touch with the Flogas Technical Department.
Emergency Telephone
03457 200 100