Tuesday, December 16, 2014

PROHIBITED REFILLING OF DOT 39 SPECIFICATION CYLINDERS



PROHIBITED REFILLING OF DOT 39 SPECIFICATION CYLINDERS







 Mock picture of DOT 39 non-reusable cylinder being illegally filled by a DOT 4BA (20-lb propane) cylinder using an adaptor


Purpose: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is issuing this safety alert to notify the general public about the safety hazard of refilling and transporting DOT 39 (non-reusable) specification cylinders. 

                                             MacCoupler adaptor





Background: DOT 39 cylinders, known as “non-reusable cylinders,” are manufactured for one-time use only.  Refilling and transportation in commerce of these cylinders is prohibited under federal hazardous materials regulations.  They are labelled with the following warning: “Federal Law forbids transportation if refilled - penalty up to $500,000 fine and five years’ imprisonment (49 U.S.C. 5124)” to communicate this prohibition.  Because the cylinders are designed for one-time use, they are not subject to more rigorous manufacturing standards of refillable cylinders. Thus, they may lack the durability of refillable cylinders and their performance over multiple refills is unknown, which presents a potential safety hazard due to the stresses of refilling and emptying of these cylinders. 




PHMSA has become aware of the sale of adapters designed to allow refilling of DOT 39 cylinders using larger cylinders (see attached photographs).  These adaptors are sold at various retail outlets and online. Some of the common trade names are the “MacCoupler”, “Mr. Heater” and “Shnozzle”. “MacCoupler” is manufactured by KM North America in Traverse City, MI. “Mr. Heater” and “Shnozzle” are manufactured in China and sold on Amazon.  Additionally, several websites demonstrate how to use these adaptors.


                            Standard warning label on DOT 39 cylinders






Actions: We strongly recommend that the general public refrain from refilling DOT 39 cylinders because of the one-time use design of these cylinders, and the purchase and use of any adaptor sold as a means to refill DOT 39 cylinders creates a potential risk of fire, explosion, serious injury, and property damage.  For further information contact: PHMSA’s Information Center at 1-800-467-4922 or phmsa.hm-infocenter@dot.gov.