What material should be avoided near oxygen cylinders during storage?

Oxygen cylinders are highly sensitive to materials that can ignite or exacerbate combustion, which makes the storage environment critically important. Combustible materials such as oil or grease can pose a significant risk when near oxygen cylinders. Oxygen supports combustion, meaning that even a small spark can ignite these materials, leading to potentially explosive situations. Keeping combustible materials away from oxygen cylinders is a fundamental safety practice to prevent fire hazards.

While metal tools, glass containers, and wooden pallets are not ideal to keep near oxygen cylinders for various reasons—such as damage or inability to contain spills—they do not inherently increase the risk of combustion like combustible materials do. It is the presence of flammable substances that is particularly dangerous in environments where high concentrations of oxygen are present, which is why those materials should be strictly avoided in the vicinity of oxygen cylinders.