Acetylene safety precautions should be rigidly observed and enforced. Some of the more important precautions to remember are as follows:

1. Store acetylene cylinders in an upright position. They must be securely fastened to prevent shifting or falling. Do not lay on sides, drop, or handle roughly. If horizontal stowage is necessary, or an acetylene cylinder is inadvertently left lying in a horizontal position, it must be placed in an upright position for a minimum of 2 hours before it can be used. (Otherwise, acetone in which the acetylene is dissolved will be drawn out with the gas. ) Avoid damaging the valves or fuse plugs to prevent leakage.

2. Store acetylene cylinders in a well-protected, well-ventilated, dry place, away from heating devices or combustible materials.

3. Use acetylene from cylinders only through pressure-reducing regulators. Do not use acetylene at pressures greater than 15 psi.

4. Open the acetylene valve slowly, 1/4 to 1/2 turn. This will permit an adequate flow of gas. Never open the valve more than 1 1/2 turns of the spindle.

5. Keep sparks, flames, and heat away acetylene cylinders.

6. Turn the acetylene cylinder so that the outlet will point away from the oxygen cylinder.

9. Test for leaks with soapy waternot with an open flame.

10. Make no attempt to transfer acetylene from one cylinder to another, refill an acetylene cylinder, or mix any other gas or gases with acetylene.

11. Keep valves closed on empty cylinders.

12. Should an acetylene cylinder catch fire, use a wet blanket to extinguish the fire. If this fails, spray a stream of water on the cylinder to keep it cool.

13. Crack each cylinder valve for an instant to blow dirt out of the nozzles before attaching the pressure regulator. Do not stand in front of the valve when opening it.

14. Learn to identify standard Navy cylinders by color and decals.