Editing Paintball compressed-gas cylinder failures (section)

== International cylinder recalls and safety notices ==

=== Global Composites International, Canada, 2005–2007 ===

In its winter 2005–2006 ''Transportation of Dangerous Goods Newsletter'', [[Transport Canada]] issued a warning concerning composite cylinders manufactured by [[Global Composites International]] (GCI).[6]

GCI had received Canadian approval in September 2003 to manufacture composite cylinders at its San Dimas, California, facility under permit '''TC-SU 6146'''.

The company moved production to Ontario, California, in April 2004 without obtaining the required reapproval for the new manufacturing location.

Transport Canada warned that cylinders bearing the TC-SU 6146 marking and manufactured from 1 April 2004 onwards were not compliant with the permit and had to be removed from service.[6]

GCI ceased operations on 1 August 2005.

A further Transport Canada notice published in spring 2007 clarified that the affected cylinders included equipment designed for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), as well as cylinders potentially used in paintball.[7]

The action concerned manufacturing compliance and certification, rather than an identified group of cylinders that had individually failed periodic hydrostatic testing.

=== Luxfer composite cylinders, Canada, 2006 ===

In spring 2006, Transport Canada published a notice concerning certain carbon-fibre reinforced cylinders manufactured by [[Luxfer Gas Cylinders]] in Riverside, California.[8]

The affected products included cylinders designed for paintball markers and breathing apparatus.

They carried the Canadian marking '''TC-SU 5134''' and original test dates between May and September 2005.

According to the regulator, some cylinders had not undergone the required autofrettage process or hydrostatic testing specified by their manufacturing permit.

Luxfer initiated arrangements to identify, recover and test the affected cylinders.

Transport Canada directed owners of affected cylinders to remove them from service until the required remedial measures were completed.[8]

The notice did not establish that every Luxfer cylinder manufactured during this period was affected.

=== Luxfer cylinder recovery in Europe, 2006 ===

The Luxfer testing issue also affected the European paintball market.

On 13 March 2006, industrial gas publication ''gasworld'' reported that Luxfer was attempting to locate composite paintball cylinders that might not have been properly tested by an independent inspection agency.[10]

The publication stated that most affected cylinders had been sold in North America, but a limited number had been distributed in Europe.

This provides direct evidence that the cylinder recovery programme extended beyond the United States and Canada.

The available report does not establish the number of European cylinders recovered or whether any failed subsequent testing.

=== Wider Luxfer cylinder recovery programme, United States, 2006 ===

In May 2006, the United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued an advisory concerning '''6,325 high-pressure cylinders''' manufactured or distributed by Luxfer without the required autofrettage and hydrostatic tests.[11]

The notice covered multiple cylinder types used for breathing apparatus, paintball and other applications.

A corrected advisory dated 10 May 2006 reported that 2,581 cylinders had been recovered and identified the remaining affected cylinders by model and serial number.[11]

The total of 6,325 must not be interpreted as the number of paintball cylinders affected or the number that failed hydrostatic testing.

Luxfer stated that cylinders recovered and tested during its investigation had passed the required tests.[12]

The recovery programme concerned incomplete original manufacturing tests, not proof that thousands of cylinders were structurally defective.