PHMSA Publishes Gas Cylinder Safety Advisory

Today the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration published a safety advisory in the Federal Register (80 FR 23851-23852) concerning unauthorized certification

of compressed gas cylinders.

PHMSA reports that between April 1986 through October 2014 that Liberty Industrial Gases and Welding Supplies Inc did not properly test ICC, DOT-Specification, or DOT-Special Permit cylinders that were presented for re-certification. Lacking proper testing, PHMSA considers that these cylinders are not safe for the transportation of hazardous materials. Cylinders marked by Liberty should be immediately taken out of service and emptied in an appropriate manner. Cylinders should be re-certified by a DOT-authorized cylinder requalifier to ensure their suitability for continued service.

To make matters more complicated, PHSA reports that Liberty marked the cylinders with the Requalifier Identification Number (RIN) of an approved requalifier. While the safety advisory only applies to cylinders marked by Liberty, unless the owner of the cylinder can specifically trace the requalification back to the approved requalifier, the cylinder probably should be assumed to have been marked by Liberty and appropriate action taken.

Anyone with a cylinder marked with the RIN of A890 with a date prior to October 2014 should contact the owner to determine the requalification status of the cylinder.