Special rules for handling oxygen are necessary because an oil or grease spot that may present no hazard in air will burst into flame in oxygen. And when oxygen under high pressure enters a regulator, recompression can heat the oxygen when it hits parts inside. The increased temperature may even be enough to ignite the valve seats. If the wrong regulator is used, some of the regulator materials may also ignite and the reaction can be intense enough to set fire to the metal regulator parts.

• Never oil or grease torches, regulators, hoses, cylinder valves, or anything else that will come into contact with oxygen. Do not place oxygen cylinders or equipment where oil or grease from machinery can drop on them.
• Clean oxygen-using equipment with a clean, dry cloth. If necessary, use soap and water, but rinse the equipment thoroughly and dry it before use. Never use organic solvents.
• Never handle oxygen-using equipment with greasy or oily hands or gloves.
• Use a lubricant specifically formulated for oxygen service if oxygen-using equipment must be lubricated. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Never allow a jet of oxygen to contact an oily surface or a greasy cloth, or to enter a fuel-oil or other storage tank unless it has been thoroughly cleaned according to approved procedures.
• Never allow anyone to dust himself with an oxygen (or even a compressed-air) line. Clothes that are even partially saturated with oxygen or a fuel gas should be aired in a well-ventilated area for at least 15 minutes to remove the trapped gas. Do not smoke or approach an ignition source while clothes are being aired.
• Always call oxygen, air, and fuel gases by their correct names. Oxygen is occasionally incorrectly called "air". A worker who wants air may get oxygen. High-pressure oxygen supplied to a well-lubricated air tool can cause the lubricant to ignite, damaging the tool and injuring the operator.
• Never use oxygen to run air tools. Oxygen and other gases should be used only for their intended purposes. Never use oxygen to blow out pipelines or to provide ventilation. The oxygen may cool the operator, but it also increases the oxygen content of the room. A spark that is inconsequential in air can be extremely hazard in an oxygen-enriched environment.