Gas handling at NCMBM

Contact

Sissel Eikvar or Rasma Gutsmite

They are both in charge of ordering all gases, including liquid nitrogen. The deliveries take place on Wednesdays, so the order needs to be placed at the latest by 15.30 on Tuesdays.

You should report to them if any gas bottles have been replaced. You should make sure that the new one gas cylinders are labelled with the replacement date with the used one being labelled as "EMPTY".

Transport of gas

A person on their own is not allowed to operate the transport of full gas cylinders. 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

NCMBM has a permanent supply of refrigerated liquid nitrogen on the E2 floor.

To keep a record of the LN₂ consumption, an e-mail should be sent to Sissel or Rasma (see details above) as soon as one of the tanks is empty; making a note in the book is not sufficient for good information flow.

Safety when filling tanks with LN₂

Great care should always be taken when handling LN₂. Risk assessment and standard operating procedure for handling LN₂ should be consulted prior filing the tanks since LN₂ may cause serious cryogenic burns if skin contact occurs. Moreover, as 1 litre of LN₂ (-196°C) can produce up to 700 litres of gas, it can cause asphyxiation. Therefore, the following steps should always be followed:

• Keep the door of the room open.
• There should always be two persons when filling the cell tank.
• Both individuals must wear cryo-protecting gloves and facemask.
• Always use a polystyrene box to avoid spill on the floor.
• Once the tank has been filled, ensure that the outlet is fully closed.

Dry ice

Dry ice (carbon dioxide ice) is kept in the backup freezer, on the E3 floor.

NOTE: there is no constant supply of dry ice therefore, dry ice used should be planned in advance. If no dry ice is left in the freezer, it should be requested in advance (ordering process is as described above).

Non-combustible gases

NCMBM has a permanent supply of the following non-combustible gases: Carbon dioxide (CO₂), Argon (Ar), Helium (He), and Nitrogen (N₂).

These gases are colourless and have no smell and can cause ill health:

• CO₂ at 4-5 vol % can cause dizziness and headache and, at 6-8 vol % it can cause unconsciousness/suffocation.
• N₂, Ar, and He can provoke suffocation without any prior warnings (this is due to the displacement of oxygen).

They should always be handled carefully. All gas cylinders must be secured, both when stored and during transportation. The carts for transportation can be found on the E2 floor.

Combustible gases

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

Propane (C₃H₈)

Propane displaces air and can cause suffocation. The primary risk to health is the danger of fire and explosion. The range of explosion is 2,1- 9,5 vol % air. The gas is colorless with a faint smell, and it is heavier than air.

Importantly, commercial propane has a smell that can alert users of leakage at low concentrations. The gas is not poisonous, but can act as an anesthetic at higher concentrations.

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)

Regulations on the handling of flammable, reactive and pressurized substances (in Norwegian): FOR 2009-06-08 nr 602: Forskrift om håndtering av brannfarlig, reaksjonsfarlig og trykksatt stoff samt utstyr og anlegg som benyttes ved håndteringen (website).