Safety Leaflet
SL 2 / 18 - Hazard! Oxygen Enrichment
Download
READ MORE
The air we breathe contains about 21% oxygen. Without oxygen we would die in a matter of minutes. It may be hard to believe, but oxygen can be also dangerous! Every year several incidents are reported where workers’ oxygen enriched clothing catch fire. Fires in an oxygen enriched atmosphere start easily and are very intense, so people can suffer very serious burns, which are often fatal.
This leaflet summarises the risks and hazards of oxygen enrichment, identifies common causes of enrichment and the precautions that should be taken and references the EIGA Life Saving Rule on the hazards of dealing with oxygen.
Other EIGA documents that will help to train staff and create safe systems of work when using oxygen are referenced, including the recently revised Doc. 04 Fire Hazards of Oxygen and Oxygen Enriched Atmospheres.