NFPA 51, Standard for the Design and Installation of Oxygen-Fuel Gas Systems for Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes

NFPA^® 51 Standard for the Design and Installation of Oxygen–Fuel Gas Systems for Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes, 2023 Edition

Chapter 1 Administration

1.1 Scope.
1.2 Purpose.
1.3 Retroactivity.
1.4 Equivalency.
1.5 Fuel Gases in the Liquid Phase.
1.6 Operations and Fire Prevention Practices.
1.7 Material–Oxygen Compatibility.
1.8 Cylinders and Containers.
1.9 Units and Formulas.

Chapter 2 Referenced Publications

2.1 General.
2.2 NFPA Publications.
2.3 Other Publications.
2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections.

Chapter 3 Definitions

3.1 General.
3.2 NFPA Official Definitions.
3.3 General Definitions.

Chapter 4 Cylinders and Containers

4.1 Fire Testing.
4.2 Fabrication and Marking.
4.3 Cylinder Storage and Use — General.
4.4 Fuel Gas Cylinder Storage.
4.5 Oxygen Cylinder Storage.
4.6 Gas Cabinets.
4.7 Exhausted Enclosures.
4.8 Gas Rooms.

Chapter 5 Manifolding of Cylinders

5.1 Fuel Gas Manifolds.
5.2 High-Pressure Oxygen Manifolds.
5.3 Low-Pressure Oxygen Manifolds.
5.4 Portable Outlet Headers.

Chapter 6 Piping Systems

6.1 Materials and Design.
6.2 Piping Joints.
6.3 Installation.
6.4 Cleaning.
6.5 Testing.
6.6 Painting and Signs.

Chapter 7 Protective Equipment, Hose, and Regulators

7.1 General.
7.2 Pressure Relief for Piping Systems.
7.3 Piping Protective Equipment.
7.4 Station Outlet Protective Equipment.
7.5 Hose and Hose Connections.
7.6 Pressure-Reducing Regulators.

Chapter 8 Acetylene Generators

8.1 Listing and Marking.
8.2 Rating and Pressure Limitations.
8.3 Location.
8.4 Stationary Acetylene Generators (Automatic and Nonautomatic).
8.5 Outside Generator Houses and Inside Generator Rooms for Stationary Acetylene Generators.

Chapter 9 Calcium Carbide Storage

9.1 Packaging.
9.2 Storage in Buildings.
9.3 Storage Outside Buildings.

Chapter 10 Mobile Acetylene Trailer Systems

10.1 General Provisions.
10.2 Discharge Stations at Consumer Sites.
10.3 Indoor Discharge Stations.
10.4 Instructions.
10.5 Fire Protection.

Annex A Explanatory Material
Annex B Informational References

2018 Edition

Apply the 2018 edition of NFPA 51 to reduce the risk of fire and explosions with requirements governing oxygen-fuel gas systems.

NFPA 51: Standard for the Design and Installation of Oxygen-Fuel Gas Systems for Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes provides the latest fire safety requirements for gas-fueled systems. This document works hand-in-hand with NFPA 1: Fire Code, NFPA 400: Hazardous Materials Code, NFPA 5000®: Building Construction and Safety Code®, and other NFPA® National Fire Codes.

Industry professionals, design engineers, and code enforcement officials need NFPA 51 for the latest guidance on cylinder storage, system manifolding and piping, and associated protective equipment such as regulators. The Standard also includes provisions for the use of acetylene generators, calcium carbide storage for acetylene generators, and mobile acetylene trailer systems.

Changes in the 2018 edition of NFPA 51 improve consistency with the latest edition of NFPA 55.

Updates to information extracted from and references to the 2016 edition of NFPA 55: Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids Code help fill the safety gap with the most comprehensive set of industrial gas requirements in the industry. (Print, 28 pp., 2017)

2013 Edition

Reduce the risk of fire and explosions with the 2013 NFPA 51 governing oxygen-fuel gas systems.

NFPA 51: Standard for the Design and Installation of Oxygen-Fuel Gas Systems for Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes provides the latest fire safety requirements for gas-fueled systems. This 2013 edition was reorganized to coordinate with the maximum allowable quantities per storage area (MAQ) and building controls in NFPA 55: Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids Code, NFPA 1: Fire Code, NFPA 400: Hazardous Materials Code, and NFPA 5000®: Building Construction and Safety Code®.

Only the 2013 edition includes:

• Updated and clarified requirements for oxygen manifolds, including allowable pressures
• New protocols for mobile acetylene trailer systems coordinate with NFPA 51A: Standard for Acetylene Cylinder Charging Plants

Industry professionals, design engineers, and code enforcement officials need NFPA 51 for the latest guidance on cylinder storage, system manifolding and piping, and associated protective equipment such as regulators. The Standard also includes provisions for the use of acetylene generators, calcium carbide storage for acetylene generators, and mobile acetylene trailer systems. (Softbound, 21 pp., 2013)

Interested in other editions of NFPA 51? Use the drop down menu above to select the edition year you need.

If you purchased a PDF, licensed PDFs can be accessed immediately. Instructions can be found in your order confirmation.

Effective with the annual 2020 code cycle, NFPA^® will no longer offer access to the PDF format as a choice for new editions of codes and standards, handbooks, or other reference titles. Existing PDFs will remain in-market and will still be accessible in our National Fire Codes^® Subscription Service (NFCSS™). For more information about the different format options available to access essential code and standard content you need, click here.

Previous editions of NFPA^® documents are available for sale. Please see applicable NFPA codes and standards product pages to confirm which editions are available for purchase. If you have any questions, contact NFPA Customer Support at 1-800-344-3555 or nfpa.org/customerservice.