BS EN 14470-2:2006 sets performance and testing requirements for fire safety cabinets used for pressurised gas cylinders. It covers fire resistance, ventilation, cabinet construction, cylinder restraint and provisions for gas pipelines and electrical cables. The standard applies to qualifying indoor cabinets with a combined cylinder volume not exceeding 220 litres and does not replace the employer’s duties under DSEAR.
BS EN 14470-2 is the British Standard for fire safety storage cabinets intended for pressurised gas cylinders.
The current edition is BS EN 14470-2:2006.
It is a product specification establishing performance requirements for the construction, ventilation and fire resistance of qualifying gas cylinder cabinets.
The standard is intended for cabinets used at normal room temperature and recognises that pressurised gas cylinders may remain connected and in use while housed within the cabinet.
Yes. BS EN 14470-2:2006 remains the current British Standard for fire safety storage cabinets for pressurised gas cylinders.
Unlike BS EN 14470-1, which was revised in 2023, BS EN 14470-2 remains at its 2006 edition.
No. BS EN 14470-2 is a product standard rather than a regulation requiring every gas cylinder to be stored in this type of cabinet.
Workplace risks involving flammable and other dangerous gases may instead create duties under legislation such as the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR).
HSE guidance generally favours suitable outdoor storage for cylinders that are not in use because released gas can disperse more readily. Indoor storage may be appropriate where justified by safety, security or process requirements, but the quantities should be minimised and suitable fire-resistant, ventilated storage provided.
A BS EN 14470-2 cabinet can therefore form part of the controls selected through a workplace risk assessment but does not make the wider installation automatically compliant.
See our DSEAR Regulations 2002 guide for further information.
BS EN 14470-2 applies to cabinets suitable for pressurised gas cylinders with a combined cylinder volume not exceeding 220 litres.
The standard gives examples equivalent to:
These examples describe the scope of the standard and should not be treated as a universal safe-storage allowance irrespective of the gases involved.
The actual number and type of cylinders should be determined from the cabinet specification, gas hazards, ventilation arrangements and workplace risk assessment.
Safety cabinets within the scope of BS EN 14470-2 may be:
The cabinet must take its weight on its base and meet the construction, ventilation and fire-performance requirements of the standard.
No. BS EN 14470-2 specifically excludes:
External gas cylinder cages, large purpose-built gas stores and walk-in storage facilities are therefore different types of installation and should not automatically be described as BS EN 14470-2 compliant.
Those installations should be designed according to the gases, quantities, ventilation, fire and explosion risks and relevant workplace guidance.
BS EN 14470-2 classifies fire safety cabinets according to their performance during a prescribed fire-resistance test.
The four classifications are:
The Type G classification represents the tested fire performance of the complete cabinet design under the conditions specified by the standard.
It does not represent the fire resistance of the room or building in which the cabinet is installed.
Yes. Type G15 remains one of the classifications within BS EN 14470-2:2006.
This differs from the current BS EN 14470-1:2023 standard for flammable-liquid cabinets, where the former Type 15 classification was removed.
The current BS EN 14470-2 classifications remain G15, G30, G60 and G90.
BS EN 14470-2 includes a type test in which the complete gas cylinder cabinet is subjected to controlled external fire conditions.
The temperature at the gas cylinder valve is monitored during the test.
The Type G classification is determined by the period for which the temperature increase at the specified measuring location remains within the limit defined by the standard.
For example, a Type G90 cabinet must meet the required performance for at least 90 minutes under the prescribed test conditions.
This is a type test of the cabinet design rather than a fire test carried out on every individual cabinet manufactured.
The standard addresses several aspects of cabinet design and performance, including:
These requirements apply to the complete cabinet design rather than being independent product features.
Pressurised gas cylinders can create significant hazards if they fall or suffer damage to their valves, regulators or connections.
BS EN 14470-2 therefore includes requirements for securely restraining cylinders within the cabinet.
The cabinet should also enable cylinders to be safely moved into and out of position without compromising their stability.
Appropriate manual-handling procedures and employee training remain necessary even where a compliant cabinet is provided.
Yes. Ventilation is an integral consideration within BS EN 14470-2, and the Type G cabinet classifications require provision for connection to a ventilation system.
Suitable ventilation helps manage minor gas releases and reduce the likelihood of hazardous concentrations developing inside the cabinet.
This can be particularly important where gases are:
The required extraction arrangement should be determined from the gas hazards, cabinet specification, manufacturer’s instructions and workplace risk assessment.
A leaking cylinder, valve or connection can release gas even when the quantity released is relatively small.
Depending on the gas, this may create:
Ventilation should therefore be treated as part of the complete cabinet installation rather than as an optional accessory selected independently of the gas hazards.
Yes. BS EN 14470-2 specifically recognises that pressurised gas cylinders can remain in use while stored inside the cabinet.
The standard therefore includes provisions for installing gas pipelines through the cabinet while maintaining the required safety performance.
Electrical cables may also be accommodated where appropriate.
The complete gas installation, including cylinders, regulators, connections and pipework, should be specified and installed by competent persons for the gases involved.
The standard establishes requirements for the cabinet, but the gases stored inside it can present very different hazards.
The risk assessment should consider whether cylinders contain gases that are:
Information from the gas supplier and Safety Data Sheet should be used to determine appropriate storage, segregation, ventilation and emergency measures.
Gas compatibility should be assessed before different cylinders are stored together.
The consequences of a simultaneous release may be significantly greater where incompatible gases are present in the same area.
Factors to consider include:
Use of a BS EN 14470-2 cabinet does not remove the need to consider segregation and compatibility.
Yes. HSE guidance states that cylinders not in use should generally be kept in safe, secure and uncongested outdoor locations where released gas can disperse readily and cannot accumulate in enclosed areas.
Indoor storage may be justified in particular circumstances, including safety, security, process quality or temperature-control requirements.
Where cylinders are stored indoors, HSE advises minimising the quantity and using a dedicated, well-ventilated and secure storeroom or cabinet of adequate fire-resisting construction.
An indoor gas cylinder cabinet may be appropriate where external storage is impracticable or where process requirements mean cylinders need to be located close to the point of use.
Examples can include:
The quantity of gas kept indoors should still be minimised and justified through the workplace risk assessment.
DSEAR may apply where a dangerous gas could create a fire, explosion or similar safety risk.
For flammable gases, the risk assessment should consider whether a release could form an explosive atmosphere.
Relevant factors include:
Where an explosive atmosphere could occur, hazardous-area classification and suitable equipment may be required.
See our DSEAR Regulations 2002 guide.
No. The presence of a flammable gas cylinder does not automatically mean that the entire room or cabinet is a hazardous zone.
The DSEAR assessment should determine whether an explosive atmosphere could occur, where it could occur and how frequently and for how long it may be present.
Ventilation, potential release points, cylinder connections and operating conditions all influence hazardous-area classification.
No. BS EN 14470-2 is a product standard for the cabinet, while DSEAR addresses the wider workplace risks created by dangerous substances.
Employers may also need to consider:
A correctly specified cabinet can form part of these controls but does not make the complete workplace or gas installation automatically compliant.
The two parts of EN 14470 apply to different types of fire safety storage cabinet:
The fire classifications also differ. BS EN 14470-1:2023 uses Type 30, Type 60 and Type 90, while BS EN 14470-2:2006 uses Type G15, G30, G60 and G90.
A cabinet tested under one part should not automatically be assumed to meet the requirements of the other.
See our BS EN 14470-1:2023 guide for flammable-liquid cabinets.
Chemstore supplies fire-rated gas cylinder cabinets designed for applications where pressurised gas cylinders need to be located indoors.
The range includes G30 and G90 BS EN 14470-2 cabinet options for laboratory, industrial and technical applications.
View Chemstore’s EN 14470-2 G90 fire-rated gas cylinder cabinets.
Chemstore also supplies fire-rated laboratory gas cylinder cabinets for applications requiring indoor cylinder storage close to the point of use.
View Chemstore’s EN 14470-2 G30 laboratory gas cylinder cabinets.
For larger quantities or applications where outdoor storage is more appropriate, Chemstore also supplies Gasvault gas cylinder stores.
Gasvault is a different type of storage solution from a BS EN 14470-2 cabinet and should not be described as compliant with BS EN 14470-2 unless a particular product has been tested and certified within the scope of that standard.
The appropriate storage solution should be selected according to the gases, cylinder quantities, location, fire and explosion risks, ventilation requirements and findings of the site-specific risk assessment.
The current British Standard can be obtained from the British Standards Institution.
This page provides general information about BS EN 14470-2:2006 and does not reproduce or replace the standard itself. The complete standard should be obtained from the British Standards Institution where its detailed technical requirements are required.
This information does not replace DSEAR, HSE guidance, Safety Data Sheets, hazardous-area classification, a workplace risk assessment or advice from a competent person.
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