It was reported that 50 tanks of acetylene, a highly flammable gas used in welding, exploded at a West Virginia Airgas location on Monday. Two workers were injured. Airgas is a distributor of specialty gases.

The explosion sent fireballs shooting "100 to 150 feet in the air" and forced a nearby business to evacuate. The tanks were being stored in a bay behind the facility and it was said that after the first tank exploded "it was like a chain reaction." After the explosion, OSHA was quickly on the scene.

This incident emphasizes the importance of safe storage of gas cylinders. USAsafety.com sells products that can help keep your workers safe on the job. In particular, our firewall barriers and welding carts do an excellent job of limiting the potential dangers of storing acetylene and oxygen cylinders side by side. They meet OSHA's regulations for that storage configuration.