The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued an emergency recall of 55,000-plus propane cylinders manufactured by The Lite Cylinder Company.
PHMSA also terminated the company’s authority to re-qualify and manufacture DOT cylinders.
The emergency order was issued after a PHMSA investigation of Lite Cylinder of Franklin, Tenn., revealed unsafe conditions and practices. The emergency order mandated more than 55,000 two-piece fully wrapped fiber composite cylinders be removed from service. These composite cylinders are commonly used as portable fuel tanks for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
In accordance with the emergency order, Lite Cylinder must immediately contact all cylinder owners and provide instructions about how to safely discharge, purge and remove the valve from the cylinder and how to safely return those cylinders to Lite Cylinder. These cylinders may leak flammable gas or suddenly rupture, the recall order noted.
The affected cylinders apply to those manufactured by the Lite Cylinder Company with any of the following numbers:
- DOT-SP 14562
- DOT-SP-13957
- DOT-SP 13105 (Only if manufactured by The Lite Cylinder Company. Cylinders manufactured by Composite Scandinavia [M0408] and marked with this number are not subject to the recall)
- Any cylinder requalified under requalification approval H706
- Any cylinder manufactured under M5729
In the absence of instructions from Lite Cylinder, PHMSA advises anyone possessing one of these cylinders to:
- Stop using the cylinder(s)
- Close the valve(s)
- Safely disconnect the cylinders once the valves are closed
- Store the cylinder(s) in a space that is well ventilated and not enclosed
- Protect the cylinder(s) from heat and keep away from all heat sources
Attempts to empty the cylinder or remove the cylinder valve by unqualified people may lead to serious injury or death, the agency noted in the recall order.