Cryogenics and Compressed Gases

When talking about occupational health and safety, you may hear of the term cryogenics used.  A lot of people may not be aware of what cryogenics means, however and it is very important to understand what this term means when dealing with the safety of employees and everyone around them.  According to the site http://www.scienceclarified.com/Co-Di/Cryogenics.html , cryogenics can be defined simply as the studying and production of temperatures that are very low.  Now, how low is low when discussing this temperature range?  Well, this range, also known as a cryogenic range, is when permanent gases begin to turn from a gaseous state to a liquefied state.  And no need to be confused with the term "permanent gas".  This simply means elements that are normally identified in a gaseous state.  Some examples include nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and helium.  Now that you know what cryogenics is, you are probably wondering what these temperatures actually are.  The same sight describes this temperature range to be from about -148 degrees Fahrenheit all the way down to absolute zero.  You can make a good guess about what absolute zero is, according to the site https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/absolute_zero.htm , absolute zero is the lowest temperature possible for anything to be, with heat energy being non-existent within the object.  When dealing with compressed gases, understanding what cryogenics is and how it can be applied to the storage of compressed gases is crucial in keeping people safe.  What are some of the hazards that can be associated with cryogenics and compressed gases?  Well, according to the site https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/physics-at-uoft/services/health-and-safety/cryogenic_safety.html , we can discuss three very good examples of hazards that occur concerning cryogenics and compressed gases.  The first one we will discuss is the fact that the environment is extremely cold.  This dramatic change of temperature can cause frost bite, if not other injuries that can be equivalent to a third degree burn.  So being aware of this and avoiding contact with the gas is very important.  Also, the containers that the gases are being stored in may become weak and easily breakable because of the extremely cold temperature.  Another thing to be aware of when storing these materials under such conditions is that the extremely cold environment may cause parts of the container to shrink, like caps or nozzles which would then be susceptible to leaking.  Another hazard when dealing with cryogenics and compressed gases is asphyxiation.  This is basically when there is a gas or other agents that cause impairment to normal breathing and can lead to losing consciousness or even death.  Lastly a third risk of cryogenics and compressed gases is dealing with pressure of the containers that the gases are being stored in.  Under these conditions, the proper pressure needs to be attained or else the pressure of the container will eventually cause an explosion which can lead to serious injury as well as cause a chain reaction from the explosion.  I hope this blog was helpful in providing some information to you about dealing with cryogenics and compressed gases and will help you be more aware of the possible hazards that can be easily looked over when dealing with these conditions.