DOT Issues Warning on Unsafe Refrigerant Cylinders

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued a safety advisory notice that warns HVAC contractors, consumers, retailers, shippers, and others to make sure their refrigerant cylinders are in compliance with safety regulations before shipping.

Cylinders must have the correct DOT or United Nations (UN) markings and follow hazardous materials regulations prior to being transported.

PHMSA issued the safety advisory to bring attention to businesses that are filling and shipping gas cylinders that don’t meet safety rules. These unauthorized cylinders could be dangerous, leading to property damage, serious injuries, or even death. PHMSA has found several instances of empty cylinders being sold to consumers, shippers, and HVAC personnel and service technicians that were not manufactured to a DOT specification or UN standard and lack certification markings.

Unlike cylinders manufactured to DOT specifications or UN standards, these cylinders aren’t designed to safely contain and transport hazardous materials. PHMSA has found that most of these cylinders come from companies outside the U.S., and that these companies have not properly marked or certified them as suitable for hazardous materials service. In addition to the inherent safety risks, filling unauthorized cylinders is punishable by civil penalty and/or criminal prosecution.

Worthington Enterprises — the only American manufacturer of many sizes of steel cylinders used in the HVACR industry — encouraged contractors and other users of pressure cylinders to follow PHMSA’s advice regarding unsafe cylinders manufactured primarily by non-U.S. companies.

“We are grateful for PHMSA’s work to keep Americans safe, and we share the agency’s concerns about the proliferation of non-compliant cylinders making their way into and throughout our country,” said Joe Hayek, president and CEO of Worthington. “There is mounting evidence that companies in China and other countries are undermining DOT’s pressurized cylinder quality and safety standards that Worthington has adhered to for more than 50 years. The sale of non-compliant cylinders and the shipping of hazardous material in those cylinders without required markings creates safety risks that need to be addressed.”

If an unauthorized cylinder has been purchased but not filled, PHMSA advises the owner to return the empty cylinder to its point of sale. If an unauthorized cylinder has been purchased and filled, the owner should enlist the assistance of a licensed and trained HVAC technician to dispose of the cylinder.