What this is
What is a compressed gas inspection?
What is a compressed gas inspection?
A compressed gas inspection is a structured check of cylinder storage, condition and the equipment attached to a cylinder in use. It confirms cylinders are upright and secured, valve-capped when idle, segregated by gas type, within their test date, and that regulators, hoses and flashback arrestors are sound. It is built against OSHA 1910.101 and CGA P-1.
Who should carry out a compressed gas inspection?
The area owner responsible for the store, or whoever routinely handles the cylinders. Competence here is knowing the gases held, their compatibility groups and what an unsafe cylinder looks like, not holding a specific qualification. A person unfamiliar with the store will check condition but miss a segregation problem, because segregation is a property of the whole population of cylinders present, not of any one cylinder.
Why does cylinder segregation matter more than individual condition?
A single damaged cylinder is a contained problem. An oxidiser and a fuel gas stored together, or a full cylinder mistaken for empty, turns a routine store into an incident waiting on an ignition source or a shortage discovered mid-task. Segregation failures are also the easiest to miss, because they are invisible to a check that looks at each cylinder in isolation.
Scope
When is a compressed gas inspection required?
This inspection covers stored and point-of-use compressed gas cylinders, the caps, regulators, hoses and arrestors attached to them, and the store's segregation and ventilation. It does not cover the process equipment the gas feeds into, or authorise a specific hot work task.
Use this template when
- A gas cylinder store or point-of-use rack is inspected on its monthly frequency
- A new cylinder store, gas type or point-of-use location is brought into the inspection round
- An unscheduled check follows a reported smell of gas, a damaged cylinder or a near miss involving a hose or regulator
- A follow-up inspection closes out a previous fail, such as a missing valve cap or a store no longer segregated by gas type
- A linked substance or asset record needs a current inspection to exist against it
Do not use it for
- General Workplace Inspection, which is a broad walkthrough and will not catch cylinder-specific hazards such as segregation or test date
- Chemical Storage Inspection, which covers substances held in drums or containers rather than pressurised cylinders
- Machine Guarding Inspection or PPE Compliance Inspection, which cover the equipment the gas feeds or the protective equipment worn, not the cylinder itself
- A hot work permit, which authorises a specific task and sits alongside this inspection rather than replacing it
- Anything outside KnowSafe, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which OSHA 1910.101 requirements does this satisfy?
OSHA 1910.101 sets a general duty to keep cylinders in safe condition and incorporates CGA guidance for the detail. Most of what this template checks is CGA P-1 practice given legal force through that incorporation, which is why the reasoning behind a finding matters as much as the checkbox.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 1910.101(a) | Visual inspection to determine cylinders are in safe condition, per DOT rules or CGA pamphlets where those do not apply | Condition |
| CGA P-1 | Segregation of incompatible gases and separation of full from empty cylinders | Storage |
| CGA P-1 | Storage away from heat sources, ignition sources and electrical equipment, with adequate ventilation | Environment |
| OSHA 1910.101(a) | Valve protection on cylinders not in use, including caps or collars | Storage |
| CGA P-1 | Cylinders withdrawn from service and returned to the supplier once past their periodic test date | Cylinders |
| OSHA 1910.101(a) | Regulators, hoses and associated fittings kept in safe, serviceable condition | Condition |
| Whole record | Findings recorded, graded and routed to a corrective action with an owner | Result |
What it does not cover
- Oxy-fuel welding and cutting equipment inspection, which covers torches, hoses and flashback arrestors in active use under a dedicated hot work standard rather than store condition.
- LPG or bulk gas storage assessment, which needs a dedicated review against bulk storage guidance rather than the cylinder-by-cylinder checks here.
- Confined space atmospheric testing, which measures gas concentration at the point of entry and is unrelated to cylinder storage condition.
- Chemical Storage Inspection, for substances held in drums or containers rather than pressurised gas cylinders.
- The hot work permit itself, which authorises a task and should exist alongside this inspection, not in place of it.
Global
Compressed Gas Inspection requirements by country
The duty to keep cylinders safe is close to universal. What differs is which body's guidance carries legal weight and how storage and segregation are specified.
OSHA 1910.101; CGA pamphlets incorporated by reference
Employer duty to visually inspect cylinders for safe condition, following DOT cylinder rules or CGA guidance where those do not apply.
CGA P-1 practice is not itself a federal standard, but it is the practical content of the OSHA duty once incorporated.
Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR)
Storage of dangerous substances, including compressed gases, assessed and controlled to prevent fire and explosion risk.
British Compressed Gases Association guidance fills the same practical role in Great Britain that CGA pamphlets do in the US.
EIGA guidance; ISO 10156 gas classification
The European Industrial Gases Association mirrors CGA's role outside North America, and ISO 10156 classifies gases by their oxidising or flammable behaviour.
Segregation and compatibility judgements rest on the same classification logic regardless of which regional body's pamphlet is cited.
How to complete it
How to complete a compressed gas inspection, step by step
Most of what makes this inspection reliable is not on the checklist as a single field, because it depends on reading the store as a whole rather than answering each row in isolation.
Walk the store and identify every gas type present before scoring any single cylinder. A cylinder that shouldn't be there is a bigger problem than one with a scuffed label, and it will not surface from a row-by-row check that assumes the population is unchanged.
Both convert a stable pressurised container into one that can move or discharge unexpectedly. Scoring a missing cap as minor while treating an unsecured cylinder as serious understates a genuine impact hazard to the valve.
A cylinder's stamped test date is the only reliable source. Assuming it's current because it passed last month is how one several months overdue gets missed, since nothing about its outward condition changes on the day it expires.
These sit downstream of an otherwise sound cylinder and make it dangerous at the point of use. A missing arrestor or perished hose should stop use immediately rather than wait for the action record to close.
What auditors find
Most common compressed gas inspection findings
Findings on this template cluster around two things: what is stored next to what, and whether the equipment attached to a cylinder is as sound as the cylinder itself.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Cylinders upright but not secured to a stand, chain or cage. | OSHA 1910.101(a) | Fit restraint sized for the cylinder and confirm it at every round. |
| Full and empty cylinders mixed on the same rack. | CGA P-1 | Mark and physically separate full from empty; don't rely on valve position alone. |
| Oxidising and fuel gas cylinders not segregated by distance or barrier. | CGA P-1 | Segregate by compatibility group, using a fire-resistant wall or the required minimum distance. |
| Cylinder past its periodic test date still present in the store. | CGA P-1 | Remove immediately and route to the supplier for retest; don't wait for the next round. |
| Flashback arrestor missing from one or both ends of a hose set. | OSHA 1910.101(a) | Fit arrestors at the regulator and torch end; treat an absent arrestor as an immediate stop. |
| Store ventilation obstructed or hazard signage missing or illegible. | CGA P-1 | Clear the ventilation path and replace signage before the store is used again. |
Case in point
Case in point: the store that passed on paper
A beverage plant's carbon dioxide and nitrogen cylinder store passed its monthly inspection for over a year, scoring consistently in the high nineties. Every cylinder present was upright, secured, capped and within test date.
A contractor brought in an acetylene cylinder for a bracket repair and racked it in the same bay as the process gases because there was free space. The next inspection scored the cylinder itself as sound and missed that a fuel gas was now segregated from nothing. The gap surfaced only when a later audit asked what gas types the store was supposed to hold, and the answer did not include acetylene.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
7 sections
- Reference
- SAF-036
- Archetype
- Inspection
- Record ID
- INSP-2026-000
- Scoring
- Percent with knockout items
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- OSHA 1910.101, CGA P-1
- Links
- Links Substance, Asset
- Tags
- Inspection, Chemical
- Sections
- 7
- Fields
- 47
- Follow up fields
- 4
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 3
Header
8 fieldsInspection ID*
Auto sequence. Format INSP-2026-00000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Inspection Type*
Scheduled, unscheduled, follow up or post incident.
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Area*
The area within the site.
Exact Location
Drop a pin for anything hard to find.
Storage
6 fieldsCylinders Upright*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Cylinders Secured*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Valve Caps Fitted When Not In Use*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Gases Segregated By Type*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Full And Empty Separated*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Store Ventilated*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Condition
6 fieldsNo Damage Or Corrosion*
- Confirmed3 pts
- Minor1 pt
- Significant0 pts
Within Test Date*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Labels And Markings Legible*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Regulators In Good Condition*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Hoses Undamaged*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Flashback Arrestors Fitted*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Environment
6 fieldsAway From Heat Sources*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Away From Electrical Equipment*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Signage Present*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
No Smoking Enforced*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Access Route Clear*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- Obstructed0 pts
Trolley Available For Moving*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Cylinders
Repeats5 fieldsGas Type*
Cylinder Number
Test Date
Result*
- Pass3 pts
- Pass with conditions2 pts
- Fail0 pts
Removed From Service
Related records
1 fieldSubstance ID
The gas held in this store.
Links to FDN-006 Substance ID
Result
15 fieldsItems Assessed*
Excludes anything marked N/A.
Items Failed*
Score Percent*
Calculated on submission. High is good. N/A items leave the denominator.
Result Band*
- Pass3 pts
- Caution1 pt
- Fail0 pts
Completeness Percent*
How much of the template was actually answered. A high score on a half completed form is not a high score.
Findings Raised
Highest Severity Found
- Observation3 pts
- Minor2 pts
- Major0 pts
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Next Inspection Due
Notes
Inspected By*
Signature*
SAF-036 · record IDs look like INSP-2026-000 · Links Substance, Asset
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The form catches condition. What slips is the store's population changing between rounds, and a fail sitting unresolved because nobody owns the follow-up.
Holds the cylinder inspection library against the substance and asset registers, flags a gas type present that the store's segregation plan doesn't expect, and routes each fail to an owner.
Connects a segregation or handling fail to the competency requirement behind it, so a repeat finding produces a training review rather than another note.
Watches inspection history for a store whose scores stay high while its population changes, and raises the check that a row-by-row score won't.
This template lives in KnowSafe — safety and compliance. Incidents, hazards, permits, inspections and the critical controls behind them.
Meet KnowSafe→Glossary
Compressed Gas Inspection definitions and key terms
- Flashback arrestor
- A device fitted at the regulator and torch end of a gas hose that stops a flame travelling back up the hose into the cylinder.
- CGA P-1
- The Compressed Gas Association's standard for the safe handling of compressed gases in containers, covering storage, segregation and handling practice.
- Test date
- The date stamped on a cylinder marking when its periodic pressure test is due; a cylinder past this date must be withdrawn from service.
- Segregation
- Keeping incompatible gases, such as oxidisers and fuel gases, physically separated by distance or a fire-resistant barrier.
- Valve cap
- A protective cap or collar fitted over a cylinder valve when not in use, guarding against impact damage that could shear the valve.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about compressed gas inspection
Do cylinders need checking every time gas is used, or is monthly enough?+
The scheduled round is monthly, but anyone using a cylinder should notice an obvious problem, a damaged hose, a missing cap, a cylinder out of place, at the point of use. A user-level check does not replace the scheduled inspection, but it catches what changed between rounds.
How far apart must oxidising and fuel gas cylinders be kept?+
Compatibility group determines the requirement, and the usual routes are a minimum separation distance or a fire-resistant wall between groups. The specific figure depends on which standard applies in your jurisdiction, so check the store's segregation plan rather than a single rule of thumb.
What happens to a cylinder found past its test date?+
It should be removed from service immediately and returned to the supplier for retest or replacement. A cylinder past its test date is not made safe by finishing the current job first.
Do empty cylinders need the same precautions as full ones?+
An empty cylinder can still hold residual pressure and should be capped, secured and kept upright like a full one. It also needs to be physically separated from full cylinders so nobody mistakes one for the other.
Why is the store checked for ventilation and heat sources rather than just the cylinders?+
A cylinder can be individually sound and still sit in a store where a leak would go undetected, or where nearby heat could raise internal pressure. The environment around the cylinders is part of what makes the store safe, not a separate concern.
Who can carry out this inspection?+
The area owner or whoever routinely manages the store, provided they know the gas types held and their compatibility groups. Familiarity with the store's intended contents is what allows a segregation problem to be noticed.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Workplace Inspection
Audit Finding Record
Records a single audit finding with its evidence, clause reference and classification
Finding
Records a single deficiency picked up during an audit, inspection or check
General Workplace Inspection
A broad walk through of an area covering the common hazards
Housekeeping Inspection
Checks that walkways, work areas and storage are clear, clean and in order
PPE Compliance Inspection
Checks that the right protective equipment is available, in good condition and being worn
Electrical Safety Inspection
Checks panels, cords, outlets and portable equipment for damage and safe access
More in Safety Inspections
General Workplace Inspection
A broad walk through of an area covering the common hazards
Housekeeping Inspection
Checks that walkways, work areas and storage are clear, clean and in order
PPE Compliance Inspection
Checks that the right protective equipment is available, in good condition and being worn
Electrical Safety Inspection
Checks panels, cords, outlets and portable equipment for damage and safe access
Ladder Inspection
Checks each ladder for damage, missing feet, loose rungs and correct labelling
Fall Arrest Equipment Inspection
Checks harnesses, lanyards and connectors for wear, damage and expiry
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- OSHA 1910.101 — Compressed gases
- CGA P-1 — Standard for the safe handling of compressed gases in containers
- OSHA — Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR, GB)
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.