LPG SAFETY
(Liquefied Petroleum Gas)
Each year several fires occur in Saudi Aramco
communities and also in local towns that are as a
result of the malfunction or misuse of LPG [gas]
appliances. Everyone has the responsibility to
ensure that LPG appliances are in good condition
and used correctly. The misuse of LPG can very
quickly cause a large outbreak of fire, serious
injuries or worse and significant property
damage to buildings, housing and the destruction
of your own possessions. Moreover, if a LPG
storage cylinder is exposed to intense heat from
a fire, under certain circumstances it can
explosively rupture and a large volume of
burning gas will be emitted. Always keep
children and pets away from LPG appliances.
1.
What is LPG?
LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) generally comes in
two commons forms.


Butane
Propane
Butane is predominantly used in portable
heaters and leisure applications such as
barbecues, while propane is predominantly used
in domestic heating, commercial cooking,
industrial applications, etc.
LPG is usually stored in portable pressurized
cylinders, but can be stored in larger quantities
using bulk storage tanks. Being pressurized
means that any time there is a leak, large
quantities of highly flammable gas can be
released and is a significant fire hazard.
2.
LPG – properties
LPG is a liquid when pressurized in a cylinder
and only becomes a gas when it is released. LPG
as a gas is heavier than air, almost two times
heavier for butane, and one-and-a-half times for
propane. This means that if there is a leak the gas
will collect in low points such as in drains and
sewers and remain a fire hazard for some time
before dispersing.
LPG is non-toxic and generally there are no
injurious effects to humans except in large
quantities by inhalation. LPG in its natural state
is colorless, odorless and tasteless, and so to
warn us of a leak the manufacturers add an
odorant, which is a harmless chemical and gives
LPG its characteristic smell.
LPG is highly flammable and has a very low flash
point, −60 °C for butane, and −104 °C for
propane, so at normal temperature & air
pressure LPG will ignite when exposed to an
ignition source. LPG burns with a very high
temperature flame, above 1,000 °C for a premixed flame. Moreover, LPG only needs a small
quantity of gas in air by volume for flammability
to occur, 1.9% to 8.5% for butane, and 2% to
10.3% for propane in air. This means that LPG
needs lots of air to support combustion,
externally air is readily available, but inside
building adequate ventilation must be provided
when burning LPG. Without an adequate supply
of fresh air incomplete combustion of the LPG
will occur and deadly carbon monoxide gas is
produced. Carbon monoxide [CO] is a deadly
colorless, odorless and tasteless gas known as
the ‘silent killer’. The symptoms carbon
monoxide poisoning is as follows:
Minor concentrations and exposure…
 Shortness of breath
 Mild nausea
 Mild headaches
Moderate concentrations and exposure…
 Headaches
 Dizziness
 Nausea
 Light-headedness
Prolonged and high concentrations can result
loss of consciousness and death!
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Treatment options for persons suffering from
carbon monoxide poisoning:





Get the victims into fresh air immediately
Evacuate all persons from the affected
house or building
Open all windows and doors
Turn off the LPG using the valve on the
cylinder
Call for emergency assistance and get
persons affected by carbon monoxide to
a hospital as quickly as possible
3.
LPG – avoiding leaks
Due to the high flammability of LPG, even a
minor leak is a serious hazard. This is made
worse because humans may not be able to detect
the slight odor from a minor LPG leak, but it is
vital that any potential leaks are identified and
quickly eliminated. But if you smell a strong gas
leak you must TURN OFF the supply at the
cylinder valve and have it investigated by a
qualified and experienced plumber. NEVER use
matches, cigarette lighters or any other open
flame to search for gas leaks.
But if you suspect you have a minor gas leak, a
simple and quick LPG leak detector can be made
by adding some soap or washing up liquid to
water. Sprinkle the soapy water with a rag or a
brush all over the LPG pipework and cylinder
valve, and wherever there is a leak bubbles will
form. If you detect a leak no matter how small,
IMMEDIATELY TURN OFF the LPG using the
valve on the cylinder. Have a qualified and
experienced plumber correct the leak before
attempting to reuse the LPG equipment.
Prevention of leaks is always better than having
to deal with a dangerous LPG fire or worse an
explosion. Suitable leak prevention measures are
as follows:

Use only purpose made steel-braided
synthetic-rubber LPG hoses with threaded
couplings and they will last for many years
without leaks. Copper pipes can be used
but they can be quickly worn out after
many
repetitive
connections
and
reconnections, and so they are not
recommended.

Natural rubber hoses [often pink or light
brown color] with ‘jubilee clips’ (adjustable
clamps) MUST NEVER BE USED. LPG dries
out the natural rubber and eventually it
will split or crack causing a leak; and
‘jubilee clips’ or twisted wire easily work
loose or can bite into the rubber if they are
too tight causing leaks.

If the cylinder valve is broken or the
coupling threads are damaged, DO NOT
USE and replace with a new cylinder.

LPG is under high pressure in the cylinder,
and so the regulator safely reduces the gas
pressure before it reaches your LPG
appliance. Accordingly, if the regulator is
damaged or malfunctioning, high pressure
gas may reach your LPG appliance
resulting in potential serious injury and
fire. If you suspect the regulator is not
functioning correctly DO NOT USE and
contact your local LPG dealer/vendor to
check the regulator and replace it if cannot
be properly and safely repaired.

LPG can be used for cooking and heating,
and so to avoid leaks or accidents it is very
important that your LPG appliance is
working correctly with no damaged control
valves, flame failure devices, burners, etc.
Have LPG dealer/vendor or a qualified and
experienced plumber check your LPG
appliance at least ONCE A YEAR.
If you discover a LPG leak inside a building YOU
MUST do the following:
 AVOID panicking
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
TURN OFF all control valves on your LPG
appliances (cooking stoves, space heaters,
etc)
DO NOT use matches, cigarette lighters or
any other open flames to search for gas
leaks
DO NOT operate electrical switches
TURN OFF the LPG cylinder valve
EXTINGUISH all open flames in the house
(candles, oil lamps, incense sticks, etc)
OPEN all doors and windows
Call 110 and report the emergency inside
Saudi Aramco communities, or 998 for Civil
Defense in outside communities. Calling
from a mobile phone inside Saudi Aramco
communities, Dhahran area: 03-872-0110;
Abqaiq area: 03-572-0110; Ras Tanura
area: 03-672-0110.






If you discover a LPG leak outside YOU MUST do
the following:
 AVOID panicking
 TURN OFF all control valves on your LPG
appliances (barbecue grills, space heaters,
etc)
 DO NOT use matches, cigarette lighters or
any other open flames to search for gas
leaks
 TURN OFF the LPG cylinder valve
 EXTINGUISH all open flames (candles, oil
lamps, incense sticks, etc) within 6-meters
(20-ft) of any LPG appliance, pipework or
the cylinder
 Call 110 and report the emergency inside
Saudi Aramco communities, or 998 for Civil
Defense in outside communities. Calling
from a mobile phone inside Saudi Aramco
communities, Dhahran area: 03-872-0110;
Abqaiq area: 03-572-0110; Ras Tanura
area: 03-672-0110
4.
LPG – cylinders
When full LPG cylinders are heavy, have sharp
edges in places and contain liquefied gas under
pressure. The main hazards are as follows:




Blast impact from a gas cylinder
explosion or rapid release of compressed
gas, following a mechanical impact or fire
Impact from parts of LPG cylinders or
valves that fail
Fire resulting from the escape of LPG
Impact from falling cylinders, or manual
handling injuries
LPG cylinders have a robust steel construction,
and the valve has a steel protector, and so in
most cases will resist mild mechanical damage.
But there are limits to this protection, the
cylinder can be pierced by sharp objects, and if
dropped the steel protector may fail causing the
valve to break resulting in a sudden release of
highly flammable LPG under high pressure.
Always have your cylinders refilled by an
approved LPG dealer/vendor, never attempt to
refill them yourselves.
The steel cylinder will corrode when exposed to
damp conditions or water, and so if the cylinder
has a rusted appearance it should not be used
unless checked by an approved LPG
dealer/vendor that is safe to reuse.
LPG cylinders must never be stored inside a
house or building and must always be kept
outside. LPG cylinders must never be exposed to
direct sunlight and need to be stored under a
sunshade. Strong sunlight will overheat cylinder
and the internal pressure will significantly
increase, and in some circumstances cause the
cylinder safety valve to operate resulting in the
release of large quantities of highly flammable
LPG.
The correct procedure for replacing an empty
LPG cylinder is as follows:
Removing an empty cylinder…
a. Turn off all control valves on your LPG
appliance
b. Turn off the valve on the LPG cylinder
c. Using the correct size wrench, carefully
undo the nut on the pipe coupling
3
d. Remove the pipe coupling and with your
finger check the condition of the synthetic
rubber ‘O’ ring seal. If the seal is damaged
replace before reusing the coupling
e. Remove the LPG cylinder
and operated in accordance with NFPA 54
[National Fuel Gas Code]. This is beyond the
scope of the normal user and this must be
handled by an LPG specialist mechanical
engineer.
Installing a full cylinder…
a. Put the LPG cylinder in position and
remove the dust cap (if provided)
b. Carefully reinstall the pipe coupling finger
tight making sure the threads are properly
aligned, and then tighten the nut on the
pipe coupling with the correct size wrench.
Do not over tighten or damage the nut
c. Prepare a mixture of soap or washing up
liquid in some water, turn on the LPG
cylinder valve fully open, and using a brush
or rag cover the nut, regulator and
surrounding pipework with the soapy
solution. If no bubbles are observed the
LPG appliance is ready to use. However, if
bubbles appear there is a gas leak, turn off
the cylinder valve and investigate the
cause. Repeat the process and if the leak
persists, have a qualified and experienced
plumber to inspect the problem.
5.
LPG – appliances and devices
LPG appliances and devices are available in
many different types and sizes. They range from
barbecue grills, ovens and space heaters around
the home, to camping gas burners and lanterns,
to the larger ovens used in bakeries and
restaurants, as well as many industrial uses and
manufacturing.
When transporting empty or refilled LPG
cylinders, they should be in an upright position
and must be securely tied down to ensure they
do not roll around and get damaged. Check that
the valve is firmly turned off before putting the
LPG cylinder into a vehicle, and no smoking
during any part of the journey.
Smaller quantities of LPG is available in Camping
Gaz (Gas) Cartridges, the hazards are same for
the larger cylinders, except the cartridge is
constructed from aluminum alloy. This means
the cartridge can be more easily punctured by
sharp objects and has less resistance to heat
during a fire or from strong sunlight.
LPG appliances and devices are only completely
safe when the gas is turned off at the cylinder
valve. Just turning off the control valve on the
appliance may appear to be safe, but the
pipework from the cylinder to the appliance is
still full of flammable gas. So it is advisable to
TURN OFF the gas using the cylinder valve
whenever the LPG appliance or device is not in
use, especially at night.
Medium to large size LPG appliances are
equipped with safety features, which include an
electronic push button igniter and a flame failure
device called a thermocouple that detects the
presence of gas flame and turns off the gas
supply should the flame be blown out.
Smaller devices like camping gas burners and
lanterns are attached directly to the small Gaz
canister, and so the cylinder valve and the device
control valve are one and the same. However,
they are not equipped with an igniter or a safety
flame failure device.
LPG can be stored in larger quantities than in a
cylinder, such as bulk storage tanks, but the
entire installation must be designed, installed
Whatever the design or type of LPG appliances
and devices they must be supervised at all times
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when there is a flame present, this significantly
reduces the fire risk, and should the flame blow
out, the user can quickly turn of the gas to avoid
the formation of an explosive mixture forming in
the area.
produced by ensuring adequate ventilation.
Accordingly, sleeping accommodation should be
placed on the floor above the LPG device, or if
the building is single story, horizontally as far
away as possible.
All LPG appliances visually checked before EACH
USE for defects and must be cleaned and cared
for in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions. At least once per year, or as
recommended manufacturer (whichever is the
sooner), all LPG appliances should be
inspected/maintained by a qualified and
experienced LPG Technician.
Adequate ventilation means for a small to
medium sized room, a fresh air vent 100 sq-cm
to the outside just above floor level [lower vent],
and an exhaust vent 100 sq-cm at ceiling height
[upper vent], also to the outside. The fresh air
vent and the exhaust vent should to be on
opposite walls, but if this is not possible,
separated by more than 45 deg and the two
vents should NEVER be vertically aligned one
above the other. For larger rooms the vent sizes
need to 125 sq-cm or larger. A room with no vent
or a single vent should NEVER be used for LPG
devices. Always have TWO VENTS minimum,
one lower level and the other upper level, this
will provide proper cross-ventilation and will
help prevent the production of dangerous carbon
monoxide. The room containing the LPG device
should always have at least ONE openable
window to provide emergency ventilation.
6.
LPG – external use
LPG barbecues, cooking devices/grills, and space
heaters produce large quantities of heat, and
great care is needed to avoid an outbreak of fire,
NEVER
place
them
under
enclosed
porches/canopies or trees, near buildings, tents,
bushes and vegetation, vehicles, trash cans, or
any combustible materials. NEVER place a LPG
barbecue or cooking device/grill on a
combustible surface.
In high winds or heavy rain the LPG burner may
be blown out, and so AVOID using LPG
appliances and devices during bad weather
conditions.
7.
LPG – internal use
LPG cooking devices/grills and space heaters are
very dangerous to use inside a house or building
unless proper safety precautions are in place. As
described earlier, without an adequate supply of
fresh air LPG devices can produce deadly carbon
monoxide gas, which is one-and-a-half times
heavier than air and so it sinks to the lowest part
of the room. You cannot smell carbon monoxide,
it is colorless and tasteless and so the best
defense is to stop carbon monoxide being
The upper vent in kitchens for LPG cooking
devices/grills can be substituted with a
proprietary exhaust hood with an electric fan,
but the exhaust outlet pipe MUST go to the
outside and the lower vent and the exhaust hood
must separated by more than 45 deg. Recirculatory type proprietary exhaust hoods are
NOT suitable for LPG applications.
It is a good idea to fit a battery operated carbon
dioxide detector, which is UL Listed/FM
approved/CE, they are relatively inexpensive
and can save lives by quickly warning users that
dangerous levels of carbon dioxide are present.
The testing, maintenance and care of carbon
dioxide detectors must be in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
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LPG cooking devices/grills, and space heaters
produce large quantities of heat and so to avoid
the risk of fire, they MUST NEVER be placed near
to furniture, curtain drapes, closets, and other
combustible materials, etc.
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