Dive Cylinder Explodes - Sydney

[Goingforsound]

Its been posted here on the day of the accident. Long discussion followed.

What shocks me is that they were filling an out of date tank... the hydro is to certify the tanks ability to hold pressure... not only to certify its use as a scuba equipment. It is my assumption that no tank beyond hydro shall be filled.

 

[CuzzA]

I wonder if some get complacent with paint ball tanks. Thinking they are not for life support, but failing to realize the tank could take your life.

 

[KDAD]

Without going into exact regulations:

The use of the tank is not what's important. We are on scuba board so we discuss this in the context of scuba tanks, but in the u.s. all compressed gas tanks require hydro testing regardless of their use. A paint ball tank would fall under this requirement as do fire extinguishers, scba's and scuba's. Whether we breath the tank under water or above or fill it with air used to pressurize a paint ball gun or chemicals for a fire has no bearing on if it is safe to fill with a compressed gas in the first place

A tank that hasn't had a recent tank is an accident waiting to happen. Why paint ballers operate outside of regulations and safe practice is beyond me. Walking away from a tank filling and leaving it unattended and letting it overfill is another...

 

[BoltSnap]

Walking away from a tank filling and leaving it unattended and letting it overfill is another...

Walking away from a tank being filled and leaving it unattended isn't an issue if your fill station is setup to stop filling at the rated pressure of the tank (using a pressure dial). If the fill station doesn't have this feature and the Tank was indeed grossly overfilled, then that is a problem. I am not sure of the details of this incident regarding the type of fill station and if the tank was overfilled or not.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Walking away from a tank being filled and leaving it unattended isn't an issue if your fill station is setup to stop filling at the rated pressure of the tank (using a pressure dial).

Have you ever had someone change the dial - and you did not notice? I have - this is not a safety feature that is infallable.

 

[KDAD]

I see older beat up al scuba tanks being sold on Craigslist for use as paintball tanks. I guess they figure that they are in too bad of shape to breath from but still don't mind to pressurize them when that I'd the greater danger.

 

[tridacna]

Have you ever had someone change the dial - and you did not notice? I have - this is not a safety feature that is infallable.

Problem happens when you're filling AL tanks and someone changes the fill pressure to fill a steel tank and cranks it up to 3800. Walks away and then you attach an Al80 to the whip...happens more often than I care to admit.

 

[BoltSnap]

Have you ever had someone change the dial - and you did not notice? I have - this is not a safety feature that is infallable.

Never did at all. No one is allowed into the fill area or do anything with the dials except the person responsible for the filling who is trained on the procedures for filling tanks and follows a strict checklist/flow chart that is posted right by the fill control panel. If you run a loosy goosy unprofessional operation, then that's something else. It all depend on your circumstances and the environment at your fill station. If the fill station is right in the sales area and the customers and others are hanging out around the fill station (I am totally against and would not allow this type of scenario in my dive center), there is a lot more to worry about than somebody screwing around with the dials.The operator definitely must not leave the area in this type of fill station setup for many reasons.

 

[clownfishsydney]

I believe that the tank was 14 years out of test. The Workcover Authority who investigated the accident basically has stuffed up their job, believing (incorrectly) that the pressure relief valve on the compressor was at fault and not even taking photos of the exploded tank (so I have been told).

 

[clownfishsydney]

The following is a saftey alert put out by NSW Workcover Authority as a result of this accident. Gas cylinders manufactured from aluminium alloy 6351-T6