HAZMAT CYLINDER
HANDLER COURSE
In-House Pressure Related HAZMAT
Training Title 49CFR172.700
Written by:
William L. High & Edward A. Kasten
PowerPoint developed by Don Kinney
Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) Title 49-172.700
All Persons who handle, transport or are likely
to be affected by the hazards of compressed gas
cylinders and their contents shall receive
appropriate safety training.
 Hazmat Training within the dive and fire protection
industries should provide specific safety awareness for
all applicable groups such as employees, service
technicians, air fill station operators (FSO), Nitrox gas
blenders as well as volunteer helpers, and even
customers
Regulatory Agencies
Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates
the transport and handling of high pressure
cylinders
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA)- regulates the safety of employees.
These regulations only apply to employees.
It would not apply to a sole proprietor with
no employees.
Required Employee Knowledge
 Know how to safely
handle and fill cylinders
 Identify illegal or
damaged cylinders
 Understand the hazards
of high pressure air and,
where Nitrox service is
provided, mixing and gas
transfer procedures.
 Training in Hazmat
makes the workplace
safer.
Training Requirements
 Documented training
should be provided to all
employees before they
encounter the real and
potential hazards of
compressed gas
 Within 90 days of hire
 Refresher training every
3 years
 By a certified instructor.
 PSI trained in inspections.
 A SCUBA instructor
would not qualify.
Training shall include:
Hazmat training should be provided
whenever an employee is assigned new
duties.
General awareness/familiarization
training
Function-specific training
Safety Training to include:
Emergency Response
Employee Protection
Accident Avoidment
Safe handling Procedures
Required Documentation
A written record of the training for each
Hazmat employee shall be maintained.
A copy of the training material shall be
maintained
Documentation that the hazmat employee
has been trained and tested.
Record Keeping
Records are essential evidence in any civil or
criminal action
Retain training and inspection records for at
least 5 years
The record should include:
Participant signature
Date and location of training
Description of material
Name and number of PSI instructor
Consequences of Improper
handling, Filling and inspection
Several SCUBA or storage cylinders explode
each year causing death, injury and property
damage.
The Kinetic energy stored within a full 80 cubic
foot cylinder exceeds one million foot pounds:
Enough to disintegrate walls and destroy vehicles
About 90 percent of cylinder explosions occur
during the filling process.
Handling Dangers
When you carry the
cylinder by the valve keep opening away
from your hand.
Air embolism may occur
through the skin if
Secure cylinders to
prevent movement
Maximum operating
temperature 130 deg. F
Personal injury or
cylinder damage may
occur from dropped
cylinder
Service Pressure
 Service pressure must be
clearly displayed on all
cylinders
 The service pressure is
established by a
calibrated gauge at a
constant 70 deg. F
 A fill station operator
will have no defense
against civil or criminal
charges if the cylinder
later fails explosively
due to over pressurization of the
cylinder
Filling Policies
Fill at 300 – 600 psig per minute to
service pressure
DO NOT over - pressurize cylinders
Provide protection for FSO’s
Reject (set aside for professional inspection)
un-galvanized, steel coated cylinders
Require all persons to remain away from
fill station
Cursory Inspection
 What to look for:
 Inspect exterior for damage caused by corrosion or exposure to
heat
 Perform hammer test on Steel Cylinders (listen for bell-like
tone)
 Look for EOI Sticker and proper hydrostatic test date
 Verify specification codes are proper
 In the U.S. only fill-ICC, DOT, CTC/DOT and TC/DOT
Cylinders
 Check cylinder residual air for odor
 Inspect cylinder having zero pressure
 Be Alert for improper valves I.e. metric in national gas straight
threaded cylinder
Reject on Cursory Inspection
 Set aside for professional inspection the following cylinders:








Bevel bottom aluminum cylinders (SP6576)
Any aluminum cylinder marked with SP6688
Any cylinder marked with SP890
COMPOSITE SCBA older than 15 years
Hoop wrap SCBA E7235 4500 NOT retrofitted
SP6498, E6498, SP7042 and E7042 NOT Over-stamped with 3AL
All round bottom aluminum cylinders
Valves w/o pressure relief devices or with fusible plugs or known or
suspected double discs
 Cylinders with known or suspected history of overfilling
 Cylinders with dents, bulges, line corrosion or pits
 Un-galvanized, vinyl-coated steel cylinders
Disguised Damage
Boots often hide corrosion damage
Stickers may be placed over damage
Auto Repair putty used to cover defects
Owner attempt to apply interior coating
of paint, zinc or epoxy
Physically altered cylinder – cut and
threaded to transport contraband
Filling Cylinders
Conduct a cursory inspection of all cylinders
before filling.
Most explosions could have been avoided by a
simple cursory inspection
The fill station operator may question the
validity of the sticker
Incomplete inspection
Invalid inspection
No sticker at all
During fill, be cautious of a cylinder falling
Condemned Cylinder
Any cylinder marked
condemned or having
obliterated codes
may NEVER be
returned to service
DO NOT FILL IT!
A trained PSI
cylinder inspector
may condemn a
cylinder
Fire vs. Cylinders
 The Maximum sustained exposure
temp. for 3AL cylinders is 265
degrees F
 Between 265 and 350 degrees the
cylinder must be hydro-ed before
being placed in service
 Reject the cylinder if exposed to
over 350 deg. F and refer to a
trained PSI inspector
 If any plastic has melted the
cylinder has been exposed to
temperatures in excess of 350
degrees. The tank must be
condemned
Visual Inspection
 If you have not been trained in Cylinders inspections –
DO NOT DO IT!
 Title 20CFR1910.101(a) – Each Employer shall
determine that compressed gas cylinders under his
control are in a safe condition to the extent that this
can be determined by visual inspection. Visual and
other inspections shall be conducted as prescribed in
the HAZMAT Regulations of DOT(49CFR, Parts
171-179 and 14CFR part 103). Where those
regulations are not applicable, visual and other
inspections shall be conducted in accordance with
CGA pamphlet C-6.
Visual Cursory Inspection
Vs.
Internal Inspection
Anytime you fill/use a cylinder you
should perform a cursory visual
inspection.
An internal inspection should be
conducted at least annually by a trained
PSI Inspector.
If necessary - depending on circumstances –
the cylinder may be inspected more often.
Transporting Cylinders
 Secure the cylinders
vertically
 If they can not be
transported vertically,
secure them horizontally
facing sideways
 Valves placed forward or
to the rear may shear in
a crash causing
catastrophic damage
Transporting Cylinders
According to DOT:
When transporting cylinders for commerce,
it is necessary to place placards on all four
corners of your vehicle when the load of
cylinders meets or exceeds 1000 pounds.
Approximately 29 cylinders (aluminum)
The placard must state: NON-FLAMMABLE
GAS - AIR
Cylinder Storage
 Store vertically, when possible,
and secured tightly
 Store below 130 deg. F in a dry
environment
 Protect from casual passersby
 O2 cylinders must be stored at
least 20’ from flammable gas
containers or combustible
materials.
Cascade or Bank System
DOT storage cylinders are large (9” diameter
by 51” long)
Store in cool dry area
Valve caps should remain on inactive tanks
Secure cylinders with chain to prevent falling
You should not roll a cylinder to move it. Use a
proper dolly or other device.
10 year star service does not apply to cascade
or banked cylinders when they are attached to a
compressor.
ASME Cylinders
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME)
These cylinders are intended for permanent
installations and do not require hydro retest.
ASME cylinders should still be visually inspected at
least annually
ASME cylinders are usually plugged at each
rounded end
Sidewall plug allows the cylinder to be mounted
horizontally and frequently drained.
SCBA
(Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus)
OSHA 1910.134
Written standard operating procedures
User must be instructed/trained in
proper use of respirators
Respirator must be cleaned and
disinfected after each use
Respirators for emergency use shall be
thoroughly inspected at least once a
month or after each use.
SCBA
Composite SCBA’s are generally manufactured
starting with a thin aluminum shell. The shell is
then reinforced with fiberglass or a carbon
material.
Manufacturing the cylinder this way makes it
lighter for the user, but does NOT make it
less susceptible to damage.
SCBAs are NOT designed for SCUBA use
SCBA cylinder SP12479 has been tested for scuba
use but there are concerns about its continued use in
underwater environment
SCBA Information
Cylinder Types (2000 psig-4500psig):
Steel
Aluminum
Composite – hoop or full wrap
Steel and Aluminum solid wall have an
unlimited service life
5 year hydro retest interval
ALL Composite cylinders are limited to a 15
year service life
Fiberglass and Kevlar - 3 year hydro retest interval
Carbon - 5 year hydro retest interval
SCBA Operating Procedures
SCBA’s manufactured by
MSA ( Mine Safety
Appliance) and
Interspiro have been
designed for emergency
fill rates as high as
6,000 PSIG/MIN
SCBA Limitations
Although protected to
some degree by the
protective overwrap, the
SCBA aluminum liner
should not reach a
sustained temperature
exceeding 250 deg. F.
SCBA Use
Warn users against storage restraints that may
cause cylinder abrasions.
Composite cylinders are not designed for
underwater use and should NOT be filled in a
water bath.
Examine exterior at least every 30 days.
Look for: distortion, dents, cuts & abrasions
SCBA’s require visual inspections
Damage limits for composites are listed in the
CGA manual C-6.2.
SCBA Damage Levels
Three Levels of Damage recognition
Level 1 - Acceptable
Normal wear and tear and Minor damage
Level 2 - Rejected or Repaired
Depth of damage is greater than .005” but less
than the value appearing in CGA C6.2
Tank should be re-hydro tested after repair
Level 3 - Condemn
Damage or abrasions greater than CGA C6.2
value
Frayed or delaminated fibers from the cylinder
may be reason for condemning it. (Refer cylinder
to trained PSI inspector for inspection)
Resource Materials
Inspecting Cylinders –
By William (Bill) High
Guide to SCUBA
Cylinder Inspections –
By Luxferesd5 Cylinder
Manufacturing
Luxfer SCBA Guide