UK Cylinder Regulations

[Ian W]

</span>

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Quote: from Eddie on 9:34 am on Mar. 2, 2003
Well either they are a bit backward here in Holland or they just don't know, I have asked quite a few dive shops for information about markings on cyliders and as far as they know it only affects cyliders for industrial use!

<span =''>
In the UK, the marking requirements apply to cylinders used or intended to be used at work. The prevailing interpretation is that when a recreational diving cylinder is filled in a dive shop, it is being &quot;used&quot; by someone at work and therefore needs to be marked correctly.

Ian W

[Paul Oliver]

Hi Ian / Eddie

The black and white sections are officially only required if you are working - So a PADI instructor for instance.

My bottles will be back from O2 cleaning and visual inspection tomorrow, so i'll have a look at whats on them, and another chat to the shop.

However i have had it from 2 shops/filling stations that the painting is not required. Just the sticker and obviously in date for inspection.

This will not take into consideration comercial interpretation of the rules. As most of us are aware just about any rule can be interperated in a number of ways almost always to your disadvantage.

Regards

Paul

PS By the way, just got back from the dive show a couple of hours ago. Faber Steel 15L stamped/dated Jan 03 for £99, how good &nbsp;is that? Not O2 clean though.

(Edited by Paul Oliver at 8:33 pm on Mar. 2, 2003)

[Ian W]

</span>

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Quote: from Paul Oliver on 8:28 pm on Mar. 2, 2003
The black and white sections are officially only required if you are working - So a PADI instructor for instance.

<span =''>

For recreational divers, the point is that dive shop staff are also working, so on that basis some shops require cylinders to be marked correctly. The question then is, what marking is required? The law is in a bit of a mess on this. According to the British/European standard, labels are the primary means of identifying cylinder contents. Cylinder colour coding, such as black and white quarters (or bands) for air, is complementary and particularly important when it is not possible to get close enough to read the label, which is not going to be the case at a dive cylinder filling station. However, I suppose a balshy dive shop could refuse to fill a cylinder without black and white quarters if it wanted, but it couldn't justify it on the basis of legal requirements. The HSE is apparently not too fussed about colour coding even for working divers' cylinders, but recommends consistent shoulder marking and labelling.

Ian W

(Edited by Ian W at 11:59 pm on Mar. 2, 2003)

[Paul Oliver]

Eddie

Got my bottles back but i've been a bit slow posting as i had a dispute over the service.

OK they are ready to go. No painting, but have labels (Nitrox) in this case. The labels are actualy quite small, plus the date cleaned for O2 sticker (test centre forgot to put them on and i had to point out the need).

The 3L went in for a O2 clean, back with the 2 stickers after a phone call.

The 15L went in for O2 claen and a 2 year visual. There was rust in it so it had to have a shot blast and the valve needed cleaning, cos it was blasted then had to have a Hydrostatic instead of a visual.

So its back stamped for a Hydro, with a Nitrox sticker and a Nitrox scrub date sticker. All test centres i have spoken to will now fill them.

Regards

Paul

PS The issue was cos one of our club members had his inspected the same and paid a fortune for it. So we inspected mine and another before putting them in. Mine was immaculate his was rusty and had mushrooms in it. His passed OK mine was 50% more in cost.

His was for for Air mine was 100% Nitrox, so we are not happy but the differences are justified if i accept that mine had rust, which our inspection showed it did not have. But we used an improvised light stick so could have missed a small speck, but i doubt it.

[Hobby]

There's a lot of confusion over this which I attempted to get to the bottom of over the weekend(in the company of Bren T)at the place which tests all my cylinders.
All my cylinders are in test currently and were so before the sticker issue came up.
Now,I do not need the stickers on my cylinders to get them filled.I will have to have the stickers once the current test has elapsed however,as seen by the stamp on its' neck.
A diveshop trying to sell me stickers before they'll fill them (for my cylinders) at present is frankly taking the pi**.
The stickers will be fitted as required at next test.New cylinders should have them fitted when bought,obviously(even if they've been in test for a while).
Just to confirm it,I &quot;borrowed&quot; a set of cylinders at the weekend,they were correctly painted with black/white quarters and stamped up with a date of 08/00.I had no problems in getting them filled and was given the same info re stickers..&quot;You'll need em' when this test expires but they should get fitted anyway at the next test date&quot;
HTH,Hobby.

[Doug Parker]

Eddie
I would love to know which 'salesman' was talking shit in Plymouth, without mentioning any names of course.