PHMSA Warns Unauthorized Markings on Some Gas Cylinders
A compliance inspection determined that Always Safe Fire Extinguisher and Safety, LLC marked high-pressure compressed gas cylinders but lacked the requisite testing equipment and could not provide evidence to demonstrate the cylinders were properly requalified.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration published a Safety Advisory Notice on July 3 warning the public that "any DOT Specification or DOT-Special Permit high pressure compressed gas cylinder marked as complying with the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) by Always Safe Fire Extinguisher and Safety, LLC (ASFES), Yonkers, New York is not authorized for the transportation of hazardous materials in commerce." That company never has been authorized by PHMSA to perform these regulatory functions, the notice states.
The notice follows a compliance inspection performed by investigators from PHMSA's Office of Hazardous Materials Safety at the company's location. They determined ASFES personnel had marked an unknown number of high-pressure compressed gas cylinders with unauthorized markings; the company lacked the requisite testing equipment; and it could not provide evidence to demonstrate that high-pressure compressed gas cylinders were properly requalified in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR Parts 171-180).
"ASFES was never approved by PHMSA to either requalify or mark DOT specification or special permit cylinders as being requalified. The evidence suggests that ASFES stamped the month (2 digits) and year (2 digits) separated by a star, on DOT high-pressure gas cylinders. Only high-pressure cylinders serviced by ASFES bearing these markings are affected," the notice states.
Anyone possessing one of these cylinders filled with gas is advised that its gas should be vented or otherwise safely discharged.
A list of authorized requalifiers is available here.