Safety Tips When Oxygen is in Use: Home Safety Training

Oxygen does not burn on its own, but it makes other materials ignite more easily and burn faster. Home oxygen therefore needs fire-safety precautions every time it is used or stored.

This checklist is general education. Follow the instructions from the prescriber, oxygen supplier, and device manufacturer because equipment and home setups differ. Do not change the prescribed oxygen flow without the prescribing clinician.

Home oxygen fire-safety checklist

  • Keep smoking and flames away. Never smoke or let anyone smoke near oxygen. The Veterans Health Library advises keeping flame sources at least 5 feet from where an oxygen unit is used or stored and open flames at least 10 feet away. Follow a supplier's stricter distance if one is given.
  • Separate oxygen from heat and appliances. Keep the unit at least 5 feet from heat sources such as space heaters, furnaces, radiators, and steam pipes. Ask the oxygen supplier how far the equipment should be from televisions, radios, cooking appliances, and other electrical devices.
  • Keep oils and flammable products away. Do not use petroleum jelly, vapor rubs, oil-based lotions, aerosol sprays, grease, or oil around the oxygen unit. Use only products the supplier or care team says are compatible. Let alcohol-based hand sanitizer dry fully before touching the equipment.
  • Store equipment as directed. Keep liquid oxygen upright in its secured holder and protect tubing from trips or damage. Ask the supplier how to secure cylinders and transport the specific equipment safely.
  • Use the equipment exactly as instructed. Turn the unit off when it is not in use, use supplied safety parts, and do not attempt repairs. If equipment is dropped, damaged, exposed to heat, sparks, or fire, stop using it if that can be done safely and contact the supplier for instructions.
  • Prepare for a fire or outage. Keep working smoke alarms and an accessible fire extinguisher, and make an escape plan that accounts for mobility needs. If there is a fire or immediate danger, leave the area and call emergency services; do not stop to retrieve oxygen equipment.

Make the plan fit the person and equipment

Ask the oxygen supplier to review placement, tubing, backup power, travel, and emergency steps in the home. Keep the supplier and prescriber's contact information with the emergency plan. The caregiver fire-safety guide can help with alarms and escape planning, and the winter-storm preparedness guide covers broader outage planning.

Authoritative safety sources

Content updated August 2026 from the sources above. A separate credentialed clinical and fire-safety review is still pending.

Download the home oxygen safety handout

Signed-in subscribers can download the existing 996 KB PDF, Home Safety Tips for Home Oxygen Use Update, below. Use it with the instructions for the person's prescribed equipment.