Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
General equipment and safety information, not medical advice. For a patient’s oxygen prescription or home-oxygen setup, follow the prescriber’s and the equipment supplier’s instructions.
An oxygen tank cart is a wheeled frame that holds a compressed-gas cylinder upright so it can be moved without carrying, rolling or dragging it. This page is for lab, facility and equipment staff who need to know what a cart check should cover and what OSHA’s cylinder rules actually say about moving and steadying cylinders. One point up front: OSHA’s text speaks of a “special truck”, a “suitable cylinder truck, chain, or other steadying device” and a “special carrier”. It does not use the word “cart”.
Purpose and setting
The same piece of equipment goes by several names. The working terms map as follows.
- Cart, truck, trolley: a wheeled carrier for moving a cylinder. OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.253 calls it a “special truck” and 29 CFR 1926.350 a “cylinder truck”.
- Holder, stand, rack: a fixed or freestanding support that keeps a cylinder from tipping where it is stored or used. These correspond to the “steadying device” and securing language in the rules, not to a defined product class.
- Carrier and bag: a way to transport or hold a small cylinder. The OSHA sections cited on this page do not address bags or carriers by name.
- Wrench: a valve tool. The OSHA sections cited on this page do not specify one, so this page does not recommend a type.
Always confirm the cylinder size and weight against the maker’s own instructions for the cart you actually have.
Checklist table
Before the move: inspect the cart
| Item | Guidance | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | Firm and secure | A loose wheel makes a loaded cart unstable | University of Victoria Science Stores procedure (revised August 2026) |
| Frame | No cracks or damage | The frame carries the whole cylinder | University of Victoria procedure |
| Strap or chain | In good repair | It is the part that keeps the cylinder upright on the cart | University of Victoria procedure |
Securing and moving the cylinder
| Item | What the source says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Valve protection cap | Where the cylinder is designed to accept one, the cap is in place and hand-tight except when the cylinder is in use or connected for use. Cap it before moving, even if the cylinder is empty. | 29 CFR 1910.253(b)(2)(iv); University of Victoria procedure |
| Regulator | Unless the cylinder is secured on a special truck, the regulator is removed and the cap put in place before the cylinder is moved. | 29 CFR 1910.253(b)(5)(ii)(D); 1926.350(a)(6) (construction) |
| Valve | Closed before moving. | 29 CFR 1910.253(b)(5)(ii)(F) |
| Steadying device | “A suitable cylinder truck, chain, or other steadying device shall be used to keep cylinders from being knocked over.” | 29 CFR 1926.350(a)(7) (construction) |
| Upright position | Secured in an upright position at all times; vertical when moved by a powered vehicle. | 29 CFR 1926.350(a)(4), (a)(9) (construction) |
| Loading the cart | Secure the cylinder with the cart’s chain or strap before tilting the cart back; if a cylinder falls, do not try to catch it. | University of Victoria procedure |
| Lifting by crane | Use a cradle, boat or platform, never slings or electric magnets. | 29 CFR 1910.253(b)(5)(ii)(A) |
| Misuse | Never use a cylinder, full or empty, as a roller or support. | 29 CFR 1910.253(b)(5)(ii)(K) |
| Elevators | Stay with the cart, hold on, never send a cylinder unaccompanied, and make sure no one else is in the elevator. | University of Victoria procedure |
What varies by facility type
The rules above sit in different places, and their scope matters. 29 CFR 1910.253 is the general-industry standard for oxygen-fuel gas welding and cutting. 29 CFR 1926.350 is its construction counterpart. 29 CFR 1910.101(b) is the general-industry compressed-gas section: it requires in-plant handling, storage and use of cylinders to follow Compressed Gas Association Pamphlet P-1-1965, which it incorporates by reference, and does not itself describe securing cylinders. The University of Victoria Science Stores document is one institution’s procedure, not a standard. A hospital, laboratory or school may be bound by additional rules and its own policy, so check the policy that applies at your site.
Storage, expiry and restocking
Where cylinders wait between moves, the storage rules in 29 CFR 1910.253(b) apply to oxygen cylinders in welding settings:
- Inside buildings, store in a well-protected, well-ventilated, dry location at least 20 feet (6.1 m) from highly combustible materials.
- Choose a spot where cylinders will not be knocked over or damaged by passing or falling objects, and not an unventilated enclosure such as a locker or cupboard.
- Keep oxygen cylinders away from oil and grease.
- In storage, separate oxygen from fuel-gas cylinders or combustible materials by at least 20 feet (6.1 m), or by a noncombustible barrier at least 5 feet (1.5 m) high with a fire-resistance rating of at least one-half hour.
For a fuller treatment, see the CASRAI guides on compressed gas cylinder storage requirements and compressed gas cylinder safety.
Standards that apply
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.101, compressed gases (general), checked 2026-10-30: osha.gov.
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.253, oxygen-fuel gas welding and cutting, checked 2026-10-30: osha.gov.
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.350, gas welding and cutting (construction), checked 2026-10-30: osha.gov.
For the CGA pamphlet that 1910.101 points to, see the dictionary entry on CGA Pamphlet P-1. Related reading: compressed gas cylinder sizes the oxygen regulator guide, and the laboratory safety self-inspection checklist.
FAQ
Is an oxygen tank cart the same as a holder or stand?
No. A cart is a wheeled carrier for moving a cylinder. A holder, stand or rack supports a cylinder in one place. Both serve the goal in the rules: keeping the cylinder upright and from being knocked over.
Does OSHA require a chain or strap on a cylinder cart?
The OSHA sections cited here do not use the word “cart”. 29 CFR 1926.350(a)(7), for construction, requires a suitable cylinder truck, chain, or other steadying device to keep cylinders from being knocked over, and (a)(9) requires an upright, secured position. 29 CFR 1910.253 speaks of securing a cylinder “on a special truck”. Which device you use is not specified there.
Should the regulator stay on when moving an oxygen cylinder?
Under 29 CFR 1910.253(b)(5)(ii)(D), the regulator is removed and the valve protection cap fitted before moving, unless the cylinder is secured on a special truck. Follow your site’s policy and the equipment maker’s instructions.
Should the cap stay on during transport?
Yes where the cylinder is designed to take one. The University of Victoria procedure calls keeping the cap on during transport “extremely important”, because a damaged valve can turn the cylinder into a projectile.
What do the colour codes on oxygen cylinders mean?
See the CASRAI guide to compressed gas cylinder color codes.
Sources
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.101, checked 2026-10-30: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.101
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.253, checked 2026-10-30: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.253
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.350, checked 2026-10-30: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.350
- University of Victoria Science Stores, “Step-by-step Transport and Connection of Compressed Gases”, last revised August 2026, checked 2026-10-30: https://www.uvic.ca/science/stores/assets/docs/stepbystep.compressed.2026.gases.pdf. An institutional procedure, not a standard.
