Risk of explosion caused by liquefied petroleum gas escaping or compressed-gas tanks overheating when working on vehicles operated with liquefied petroleum gas. Risk of frostbite to body parts caused by liquefied petroleum gas exiting under pressure. Risk of poisoning or risk of suffocation caused by inhaling liquefied petroleum gas. - AS00.00-Z-0023-01A

ENGINE 111.984, 271.951 For liquefied petroleum gas system 

Remove any sources of ignition.

Ensure that the work area is adequately ventilated.

Wear heat protective gloves.

At temperatures above 60 °C, the compressed-gas tank must be removed.

Potential risks 

Risk of explosion 

Risk of explosion caused by liquefied petroleum gas escaping from the system (e.g. through leaks) or if the compressed-gas tank becomes overheated.

Smoking, fire and open light sources are prohibited:

• In the vicinity of the refueling point,
• In the vicinity of the engine compartment,
• In the vicinity of the gas reservoirs,
• In the vehicle parking hall or workshop.

Risk of frostbite 

Risk of frostbite to skin and body parts caused by liquefied petroleum gas escaping and by coming into contact with components that are near the valve when emptying compressed-gas tanks.

Risk of poisoning or suffocation 

A risk of poisoning or suffocation exists if liquefied petroleum gas is inhaled when increased gas concentrations are present in the ambient air. Increased gas concentrations are most likely to occur in closed environments and in low areas.

Safety instructions/precautions 

Maintenance and repair work may only be carried out by specially trained personnel.

Before commencing work, ensure that all sources of ignition have been removed. Adequate ventilation must be ensured in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle.

Adequate ventilation means an exchange of air at least 3 times an hour at a distance of 3 meters from the gas shutoff valve.

Liquefied petroleum gas can cause frostbite injuries. Protective leather gloves should be used if necessary.

De-energize the solenoid valve before starting any repair work. After de-energizing the solenoid valve, empty the gas lines by running the engine.

The gas lines are sufficiently drained if the engine automatically comes to a standstill after several minutes in idle.

Vehicles with liquefied petroleum gas systems on which the solenoid valve remains closed and the gas lines were emptied can be handled as normal gasoline engine vehicles as long as the following are true:

• The gas shutoff valves remain closed,
• The gas lines are emptied and
• the compressed-gas tank will not be heated up to a temperature of more than 60 °C.

Work which involves any risk of ignition is only permissible on vehicles with liquefied petroleum gas systems after special safety precautions have been taken to prevent gas from escaping and to prevent the heat from increasing the pressure in the compressed-gas tank or in the gas lines. It may be necessary to empty the gas lines and to remove the compressed-gas tank.

All vehicles with liquefied petroleum gas systems on the workshop site must be identified with a safety warning about the risk of explosion at a clearly visible location.

Liquefied petroleum gas is heavier than air and has a perceivable odor, but its odor can be easily covered up. Liquefied petroleum gas forms a flammable and explosive mixture with air. For this reason, vehicles with liquefied petroleum gas systems on which the solenoid valves are not closed and the gas lines have not been emptied may only be parked in places

• where the air is exchanged at least 3 times per hour.

Make sure that workshops have adequate ventilation openings at floor level in the halls (observe door thresholds) so that escaping liquefied petroleum gas can safely flow out into the open and dissipate.

If it cannot be ensured that the temperature of the compressed-gas tank will remain below 60 °C, then the tank must be removed. After completing any maintenance work on the components or on the gas lines of the liquefied petroleum gas system, conduct a leak test of the gas line connections in question.

The procedure for detecting leaks in a liquefied petroleum gas system must avoid any risk of igniting any gas which may flow out.

Particularly suitable for this work are leak detection sprays which indicate leakage by forming a foam, or leak detectors such as gas measuring and warning devices which are also able to measure gas far below the explosion limit.