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 trainingSafety Training to include:

Emergency ResponseEmployee ProtectionAccident AvoidmentSafe 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 signatureDate and location of trainingDescription 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 DangersWhen 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 cylindersProvide protection for FSO’sReject (set aside for professional inspection)

un-galvanized, steel coated cylindersRequire 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 damageStickers may be placed over damageAuto Repair putty used to cover defectsOwner attempt to apply interior coating

of paint, zinc or epoxyPhysically 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 inspectionThe fill station operator may question the

validity of the stickerIncomplete inspectionInvalid inspectionNo 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 serviceDO 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 InspectionVs.

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 areaValve caps should remain on inactive tanksSecure cylinders with chain to prevent fallingYou 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 endSidewall plug allows the cylinder to be mounted

horizontally and frequently drained.

SCBA(Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus)OSHA 1910.134

Written standard operating proceduresUser must be instructed/trained in

proper use of respiratorsRespirator must be cleaned and

disinfected after each useRespirators for emergency use shall be

thoroughly inspected at least once a month or after each use.

SCBAComposite 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 useSCBA cylinder SP12479 has been tested for scuba

use but there are concerns about its continued use in underwater environment

SCBA InformationCylinder Types (2000 psig-4500psig):

SteelAluminumComposite – 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 & abrasionsSCBA’s require visual inspectionsDamage limits for composites are listed in the

CGA manual C-6.2.

SCBA Damage Levels

Three Levels of Damage recognitionLevel 1 - Acceptable

Normal wear and tear and Minor damageLevel 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 repairLevel 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