The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), in order to prevent injuries to users of a certain type of aluminum cylinder, today issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend requirements in the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) for cylinders manufactured of a certain aluminum alloy.
The NPRM addresses cylinders made of the aluminum alloy 6351-T6. Cylinders made of this alloy are known to be susceptible to sustained load cracking in
the neck and shoulder area of the cylinder.
“This proposed rulemaking addresses a safety issue of key interest to SCUBA divers, firefighters and others who use this type of aluminum alloy cylinder,” said Samuel G. Bonasso, RSPA acting administrator. “The purpose of this action is to minimize the likelihood of personal injury occurring during cylinder filling and to adopt a standard for early detection of sustained load cracking to reduce the risk of a cylinder rupture.”
This proposed rulemaking, HM-220F, would complement an earlier final rule, HM-220D. Under the new rule, all existing cylinders manufactured of
aluminum alloy 6351-T6 used in self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) for diving, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for
firefighting, and oxygen service would be required to:
· Undergo a non-destructive examination at the time of its required five-year periodic requalification. (This would include an electrical/eddy current examination combined with a visual inspection for cracks in the neck
region),
· Have operational controls in place during the filling process, and
· Revise the entry in the HMR for the DOT 3 AL cylinder in the “Requalification of Cylinders” table to include a non-destructive examination for cylinders manufactured of aluminum alloy 6351-T6.
On August 8, 2002, RSPA published final rule HM-220D that amended the requirements of the HMR applicable to the maintenance, requalification, repair, and use of DOT specification cylinders. That final rule added
several amendments pertaining to DOT specification cylinders manufactured with aluminum alloy 6351-T6.
RSPA’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety is the federal authority responsible for ensuring the safe and secure commercial movement of hazardous materials by all transportation modes.
The NPRM appears in today’s Federal Register. The final rule may be obtained via the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, docket number 14405. For additional information: go to RSPA website w.rspa.dot.gov, or contact
publicaffairs@rspa.dot.gov.
