DATELINE :- 14th June 2000
LUXFER DELAYS
Luxfer drags heels over cylinder safety
Aluminium diving cylinder manufacturer Luxfer was still unable, at the beginning of June, to make a public statement on whether some of its cylinders could be at higher risk than others from cracks in the threaded neck area; and, if so, which types of cylinder are affected.
Diver first confirmed the potential problem at the end of March, through discussions with the Health and Safety Executive, the Association of Scuba Service Engineers and Technicians (ASSET), and Britain's Luxfer distributor.
Luxfer appeared on the verge of making a statement when the British manufacturing arm of the American-owned company booked a one-page advertisement in the June issue of Diver. The advertisement was withdrawn because American executives were "unhappy with the text".
Nick Sands, Sales and Marketing Director of Luxfer in Britain, told Diver: "Our current scuba servicing policy [detailing Luxfer's general inspection regime, including the required use of a type of crack-detecting apparatus] remains in place."
Asked whether certain types of cylinders represent a level of risk that might be regarded as unacceptable, he said: "We have nothing further to add."
A diving inspector at the Health and Safety Executive confirmed that he would be contacting Nottingham-based Luxfer in the "near future" to elicit "an appropriate response that will establish the company's position clearly". Failure to do so could lead to enforcement action under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
In a statement to its members, ASSET has already confirmed that, by agreement with Luxfer, "eddy-current non-destructive (NDT) crack detector" devices must be used to inspect "certain cylinders of their manufacture".
Certain alloys requiring such inspection were singled out. They are types 6082 or 6351, used in HOAL and EEC cylinders up to 1992 and for BS 5045/3 cylinders up to 1994. In later production, 6082 alloy is recognised by a letter A stamped on a cylinder's shoulder; 6351 by a letter B.
The new NDT crack detector test requirement is due to come into force on 1 July.
Meanwhile, many filling stations are refusing to fill Luxfer aluminium cylinders while confusion remains over exact batch serial number ranges of cylinders that could be at risk. Only certification based on the new testing techniques is being accepted.