These instructions from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia describe how to safely store and use oxygen at home as well as what to do if there is a fire.

Important information about oxygen

Oxygen must be handled with care. It makes things catch fire more easily and burn faster. You must follow these safety guidelines to prevent a fire and injury to yourself or others. Your durable medical equipment (DME) company will review all the items with you.

Instructions for general oxygen safety:

• Post a sign that says “Warning: No Smoking. No Open Flame. Oxygen in Use” on the front door or the door used as the entrance to your home. Oxygen signs should also be posted where oxygen is stored in the home. These signs will be provided by Children’s Hospital Home Care.
• Do not allow anyone to smoke, light a match or use a cigarette lighter in the home or car when oxygen is in use.
• Keep oxygen tanks at least 3 feet away from electrical outlets. Be aware of the potential for sparks from outlets, medical equipment or battery-operated toys.
• Keep oxygen tanks at least 10 feet away from open flames. Be aware of gas stoves, space heaters, lit birthday candles or lit fireplaces as oxygen can fuel a fire.
• Do not use electrical appliances such as electric razors or hair dryers while using oxygen.
• Make sure you have a working smoke detector in your home.
• Do not use petroleum-based lotions and creams on the face or upper body when oxygen is in use. Use only water-based products.
• To prevent falls, be careful to not to allow oxygen tubing to lay across walkways in your home.
• Turn off the oxygen when it is not being used.
• Notify your fire department that you have oxygen in your home.
• Be aware of the potential risk to neighbors from oxygen hazards in your home.
• Always be sure to have a functioning back-up oxygen system.
• Try to use clothes and bedding made of cotton material to limit static electricity.
• Never touch liquid oxygen. It is extremely cold and can cause frostbite.
• Keep oxygen tanks away from hot surfaces like radiators.

Instructions for storing oxygen safely:

• Store oxygen in a well-ventilated area.
• Keep oxygen cylinders in stored stands or lying flat on their side.
• Do not store or use flammable products such as spray cans, nail polish remover, gasoline, kerosene, rubbing alcohol, paint thinners and other oil-based lubricants near oxygen.
• Do not store oxygen in closed vehicles or car trunks.
• Identify your full, partially full and empty oxygen tanks.

Oxygen emergency instructions:

If there is a fire near your oxygen, do not try to fight the fire. Get away from the oxygen and get everyone out of the house.

If you have any questions about your child’s health, please contact your child’s healthcare provider. This document is intended only to provide general educational information and is not intended as medical advice or treatment. Please consult with your healthcare provider prior to use, as some of this information may need to be adapted for your child’s specific needs. It is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to advise you on the appropriate use of this information. If you/your child are not already a CHOP patient, this document does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you/your child and CHOP. CHOP is not responsible for any outcomes you/your child might experience from your use of this document. This document is provided "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, express or implied. If this document refers to any drugs or medical devices, it is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to check the FDA status prior to use. If this document includes references to drug dosing, please do not rely on this document. Your healthcare provider should check the package insert for each drug before use. Hyperlinks used within this document may not be translated into other languages.

©2022 Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Not to be copied or distributed without permission.