Gas handling at NCMM

Contact

Gladys Marie Tjørhom
Office phone: 22840556   

Gladys Marie Tjørhom is in charge of ordering all gases, including liquid nitrogen. Delivery on Wednesdays, ordering latest 15.30 Tuesday. Please report to Gladys if you have replaced a gas bottle. Label the new one with the date for replacement and label the other with empty.

Transport of gas. 

One person alone is not allowed to operate the transport of full gas bottles on their own. One extra person needs to be available to support the operation.  All staff must always check the trolley wheels before the trolleys are taken into use. 

Refrigerated liquid gases

NCMM has a permanent supply of refrigerated liquid nitrogen on the floors E2 and D3 .To keep up with the consumption of LN2, you have to send an e-mail to Gladys Tjørhom if one tank is empty. Notification in the book is not enough.

Security when filling gas

1liter of liquefied nitrogen (minus 196 degrees) will produce 700 liter of gas. The liquid may cause serious cryogenic burns. People must always take great care.

• Keep the door open.
• Always be two persons when you are filling cell tanks
• Use Cryo-gloves and facemask.
• Always use the isopore box to avoid spill on the floor.
• Be completely certain that the outlet is closed properly after use.
• Always be very careful when you handle liquefied nitrogen

Dry ice

Dry ice (carbon dioxide ice) is kept in the backup freezer, floor E3.
NOTE: supply is not permanent. Check for ice in good time and ask Gladys Tjørhom to order if NCMM is short on supply. Ordering latest Tuesday.

Non-combustible gases

NCMM has a permanent supply of the non-combustible gases: Carbon dioxide, Argon, Helium, Nitrogen. They are all without colour and smell. CO₂ can at 4-5vol % give dizziness and headache and at 6-8 vol %  cause unconsciousness/suffocation, while the inert gasses N₂, Ar, and He can provoke suffocation without any warnings, due to the lack of oxygen.  All gas cylinders must be secured - both when stored and during transportation. The carts for transportation is found at floor E2.

Combustible gases

NCMM uses separate gas holders for the combustible gases butane and propane.

Propane (C3H8)

The range of explosion hazard in air: 2,1- 9,5 vol %. The gas is colorless with a faint smell, and heavier than air. The commercial gas has an odorant to alert at low concentrations.The gas is not poisonous, but can be anesthetic at higher concentration .

Risks

Propane displaces air and can cause suffocation. The primary risk to health is the danger of fire and explosion.

Safety data sheets

• Argon (pdf)

• Butane/propane (pdf)
• Carbon dioxide
  compressed (pdf)
• Carbon dioxide
  (solid dry ice) (pdf)
• Helium (pdf)
• Nitrogen
  (compressed) (pdf)
• Nitrogen
  (refrigerated Liquid) (pdf)
• Oxygen (compressed) (pdf)

FOR 2009-06-08 nr 602: Forskrift om håndtering av brannfarlig, reaksjonsfarlig og trykksatt stoff samt utstyr og anlegg som benyttes ved håndteringen