[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 174 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55736-55737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22892]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2011-0198, Notice No. 11-8]


Safety Advisory: Unauthorized Marking of Compressed Gas Cylinders

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
DOT.

ACTION: Safety Advisory Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: PHMSA issues this safety advisory to notify the public of the 
unauthorized marking of certain of high- and low-pressure compressed 
gas cylinders, primarily fire extinguishers, by Atlas Fire Protection 
located at 7425 Sewells Point Road, Norfolk, VA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Michalski, Senior Investigator, 
Eastern Region, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety Field Operations, 
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department 
of Transportation, 820 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 306, W. Trenton, NJ 
08034. Telephone: (609) 989-2256, Fax: (609) 989-2277, or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) 
require compressed gas cylinders to be subjected to periodic 
requalification (visual inspection and hydrostatic testing in 
accordance with 49 CFR 180.205 and 180.209) to verify the structural 
integrity of a cylinder and its suitability for continued service. If 
the required inspections and tests are not performed, a cylinder with 
compromised structural integrity may be returned to service when it 
should be condemned. Extensive property damage, serious personal 
injury, or death could result from the rupture of a cylinder. Cylinders 
not requalified in accordance with the HMR may not be filled with 
compressed gas or other hazardous material and offered for 
transportation in commerce. Only DOT approved facilities are authorized 
to requalify cylinders.
    Investigations conducted by PHMSA's field operations in 2009, 2010, 
and 2011, revealed that some high- and low- pressure cylinders serviced 
by Atlas Fire Protection were marked and represented as requalified 
(visually inspected and hydrostatically tested) in accordance with HMR 
when the appropriate inspections and tests were not performed. PHMSA 
determined during its investigations that: (1) Atlas Fire Protection is 
not approved or authorized to requalify DOT-specification cylinders or 
mark such cylinders as requalified; (2) Atlas Fire Protection applied 
requalification markings to cylinders that were not subjected to the 
required inspections and tests; and (3) Atlas Fire Protection marked 
cylinders with a Requalifier Identification Number (RIN) B243 that was 
not issued to them, but rather to another company, Fire-X Corporation, 
Norfolk, VA. The unauthorized markings (B243) applied by Atlas Fire 
Protection were stamped into the cylinder and include a month and the 
last two digits of the year. In the case of low pressure fire 
extinguishers, the markings may appear on an adhesive label with holes 
punched through the month, year, and hydrostatic test indicator. Only 
cylinders serviced by Atlas Fire Protection are suspect.
    Anyone in possession of a cylinder that was serviced by Atlas Fire 
Protection and marked with test dates of 2007 through 2011 and has not 
had the cylinder requalfied by a DOT approved requalification facility 
since then, should consider the cylinder unsafe and not fill it with a 
hazardous material unless the cylinder is first properly requalified by 
a DOT approved requalification facility.
    Cylinders subject to this advisory that are filled should be safely 
discharged. Prior to refilling, the cylinders should be taken to a DOT 
approved cylinder requalification facility to ensure their suitability 
for continued service. A list of authorized cylinder requalification 
facilities may be obtained at: http://hazmat.dot.gov.
    Persons in possession of cylinders subject to this notice may 
contact their local fire department for assistance at one of the 
following telephone numbers:

[[Page 55737]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashland.......................................    804-365-4850  Portsmouth......................    757-393-8689
Chesapeake....................................    757-382-6566  Richmond........................    804-646-6640
Chesterfield..................................    804-748-1426  Rockville.......................    804-786-0000
Hampton.......................................    757-727-1210  Suffolk.........................    757-539-8787
Midlothian....................................    804-786-0000  Virginia Beach..................    757-385-4228
Newport News..................................    757-247-8873  Williamsburg....................    757-220-6226
Norfolk.......................................    757-664-6604  Yorktown........................    757-890-3626
Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office..........    804-371-0220
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Issued in Washington, DC on August 30, 2011.
Magdy El-Sibaie,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
[FR Doc. 2011-22892 Filed 9-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P