The use of medicinal oxygen can be dangerous. The spontaneous combustion of an oxygen cylinder was the cause of a fire in an operating theatre and an emergency medical service. The fire developed after turning on the gas main while the flow supply valve was already open. Not opening the pressure reduction valve while the oxygen flow supply valve is open can prevent this type of fire. Information from the contractor shows that the probability of such an incident is 1 in a million.
[Fire by spontaneous combustion of oxygen cylinders]
T. Coumans, I. Maissan, A. Wolff, R. Stolker, J. Damen and G. Scheffer
Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2010;154:A2137.