Have you ever considered the potential safety hazards related to transport of liquid nitrogen and compressed gas tanks by delivery personnel? Delivery personnel must use the elevators to transport heavy cylinders/tanks to and from the labs that ordered the product. This represents a significant hazard during an elevator ride if a spill or leak were to occur, since the elevator is a relatively small, enclosed space.
Delivery personnel are instructed to inform others NOT to ride the elevator with them when in the process of compressed gas/liquid nitrogen delivery. However, sometimes delivery personnel may be reluctant to say something or those so instructed may choose to get on the elevator anyway. Compressed gas/liquid nitrogen delivery personnel carry rescue masks for their own use in the event of an inadvertent release from a cylinder. Anyone choosing to use the elevator when compressed gases/liquid nitrogen delivery is in progress put themselves at risk.
If you see a delivery person on an elevator with compressed gas cylinders or liquid nitrogen tanks, please do NOT get on the elevator with them. Politely tell the delivery person you will wait for the next elevator. They will greatly appreciate it and this small step can potentially save you from harm.
-issue identified and shared by the FIC (Food Innovation Center) Safety Committee
Resources
EHS Gases under pressure Hazards & Risk Minimization Safe Operating Procedure (SOP) http://ehs.unl.edu/sop/s-gases_under_pressure_haz_risk_min.pdf