Whether you are storing or moving a big or small oxygen tank, always make sure that it is kept upright. Tanks can be tilted slightly when being transported to a child or a classroom, but while in movement, they should be kept as still as possible. Never store the tanks in a horizontal position or flat on the floor because this could easily damage them.
Keep oxygen tanks away from any heat such as radiators or warm pipes. You should also keep the tanks away from open flames because contact with this sort of heat could cause the tanks to ignite. As an extra precaution, it would also be sensible to keep oxygen tanks away from open windows. On hot summer days, heat through windows can be quite high and possibly cause ignition.
Store the oxygen tanks away from any flammable liquids or gasses. This includes grease, bottles of oil, all cleaning products and other highly flammable containers usually found in schools and science labs. If one of these ignite, the flames will spread quickly to the oxygen tanks and ignite those as well.
Children have a tendency to be inquisitive and may start to play with an oxygen tank, not knowing what it is. They may not understand that it could be dangerous in certain situations and not take the right precautions. If you have oxygen tanks in your school, explain to your pupils what the tank is, what it is used for and why students should not play with it.