WAC 296-307-48019. Cylinder valves

(1) Cylinder valves must be closed before moving cylinders. (2) Cylinder valves must be closed when work is finished. (3) Valves of empty cylinders must be closed. (4) A hammer or wrench must not be used to open cylinder valves. If valves cannot be opened by hand, the supplier must be notified. (5) Cylinder valves must not be tampered with nor should any attempt be made to repair them. If the employer has trouble with a cylinder, the employer should send a report to the supplier indicating the character of the trouble and the cylinder's serial number. The employer must follow the supplier's instructions on what to do with the cylinder. (6) Complete removal of the stem from a diaphragm-type cylinder valve must be avoided. (7) If cylinders are found to have leaky valves or fittings that cannot be stopped by closing of the valve, the cylinders must be taken outdoors away from sources of ignition and slowly emptied. (8) The cylinder valve must always be opened slowly. (9) An acetylene cylinder valve must not be opened more than one and one-half turns of the spindle, and preferably no more than three-fourths of a turn.