What is essential to ensure cylinders are safe before filling?

Ensuring cylinders are safe before filling is crucial for preventing accidents and ensuring compliance with safety regulations. Conducting a visual inspection is essential because it allows the operator to check for any visible signs of damage, corrosion, leaks, or other structural integrity issues. Visual inspections can reveal conditions such as dents, rust, or any deformation that could compromise the safety of the cylinder during transport and use.

Other factors like weight measurement, certification documents, and pressure readings contribute to safe handling but do not directly assess the immediate physical condition of the cylinder as effectively as a visual inspection. For instance, weight measurement can confirm that the cylinder is not overfilled, but it does not identify potential external or structural issues. Similarly, certification documents ensure that the cylinder meets regulatory standards, but they do not provide information on the cylinder's current state. Pressure readings are useful for determining the contents and operational status of the cylinder but do not address physical damage. Therefore, the visual inspection stands out as the most critical step in ensuring cylinder safety prior to filling.