Identification of gas cylinders

Anyone handling a cylinder must first identify the gas inside the cylinder. Do not use or handle a cylinder if you have not identified the contents. Then you will not know what precautions to take in case of an emergency.

Gas cylinders are identified by stamps (die-cuts), stickers and the colour of the cylinder. The identification markings are determined by the different regulations.

The main means of identification of a cylinder is a fixed stamp, or punch, on the neck. The name of the gas it contains is always marked on the shoulder of the cylinder. The stamps also provide information on the cylinder’s inspection, manufacturer, weight, pressure and volume. All stamps are made in accordance with SFS-EN 13769.

The cylinders are coloured in accordance with EN 1089-3. According to the standard, the cylindrical part of the cylinders is white for medical gases. The rim of the cylinders indicates the type of gas contained in the cylinder.

Some gases have a specific identification colour:

If the gas does not have a specific identification colour, then the colour of the hard part is determined by the gas property as follows:

In the case of mixed gases, the neck section may have more than one colour depending on the gases. If the gases have the same concentration, stamping and painting are carried out in a predetermined sequence.

The most important label for gas identification is the so-called wing sticker. It contains the name of the gas, the trade name, if any, the composition (in mixtures), safety instructions, cylinder size, classification markings and the contact details of the gas supplier. The base colour of the wing label is white for medical gases, yellow for industrial gases and green for food gases. The information content of the wing label is based on the SFS-EN ISO 7225 standard.

The cylinder colour chart includes all Woikoski medical cylinders for easy identification. The map is in Finnish.