Overview of the High Pressure Gas Safety Act in Japan

If handled incorrectly, the high pressure gas widely used in industry can cause damage not only to the plant in which it is being handled, but also to the surrounding area. For this reason, in accordance with the High Pressure Gas Safety Act, any compressed gas greater than or equal to 1 MPa [145 psi] (0.2 MPa [29 psi] for compressed acetylene gas and liquefied gas) is classed as high pressure gas in Japan, and its production, storage, and sale are strictly regulated.

Details of the act mainly consist of: a) Conformity of facilities and equipment with technical regulations, b) Preparation of manuals related to safe administration by the operators, and c) Allocation of qualified personnel.

In addition to the High Pressure Gas Safety Act for regulating the high pressure gas itself, coordination is established with the Fire Service Act designed to prevent and extinguish the fire, the Industrial Safety and Health Act designed to ensure the health and safety of industrial workers, and the Act on the Prevention of Disaster in Petroleum Industrial Complexes and Other Petroleum Facilities designed to prevent occurrence of disasters within areas of petrochemical complexes, thereby maintaining the safety of high pressure gas handling in Japan.