Registering non AS 1777 tanks here's how

[JB]

Does this meal that a cylinder marked as DOT 3 or 3AL will be tested and filled in Aus as-is?

No. Depends where you go and who you speak to.

 

[JB]

If you buy a new tank in Oz, they will either have a BS 5014 (steel) or a DOT xxx (Aluminium) stamp. (No AS whatever stamp anywhere). Apparently an importer has an authority from someone probably worksafe to test and stamp them. Once they have been tested once in Oz then they are good to go and have the annual test, that anyone will do. It's getting that first test that is the problem.
Most test stations, are run by the LDS, and have limited knowledge of the requirements, and are unlikely to "stick there neck out" and apply the requirements to your foreign cylinders, besides it's depriving them of a sale. So you will hit a brick wall and be told you have to submit line drawings to worksafe and pay a huge fee to have them stamped. If you can find a knowledgeable, engineering works (commercial) not LDS, they will probably test and stamp your tanks without hesitation, as they did for mine.
It is a long time since this affected me, but I did download the latest Oz standards, and found out that BS 5014 is obsolete etc.etc. But when I walk into the LDS all the Fabers still have BS 5014 on them, and ALi tanks DOT something or other.
Search the archives on Dive OZ forum and you find a huge amount of misinformation on this subject.
So to cut to the chase, save yourself a lot of frustration, and just buy locally. There is no logic, and how much frustration you experience depends on who you talk to.

 

[Ghanguss]

Apparently an importer has an authority from someone probably worksafe to test and stamp them. .

The importer, or anyone for that matter, can use the pdf attachment in the OP to get an approval number for a particular cylinder. You need the engineering drawings and some other info. The difficulty is getting all the info. The importer is the most likely place to get an imported cylinder approved as they have been through this process or just bought an approval number from someone who has.

After going through it, its probably not worth importing a cylinder unless you have found somewhere to have it approved beforehand.

 

[cbanhidy]

Well its an old topic but I have been through this in 2003 and the process remains the same.

A testing station is suppose to have the latest DOT and EU pressure vessel ( say tanks ) list as well as the Australian list of Work Cover approved cylinders.
MOST do not.
Most testing stations are not up to ancient fiberglass wrapped, let alone carbon fiber wrap or HP cylinders.

All of these tanks have been approved for use. Reciprocal arrangement and standards are very much alive.

As per Workcover all pressure vessels ( says tanks ) need to be design registered. You can give WC diagrams of manufacture ( IE., get them from the manufacturer who has them registered with US DOT).

You may, I say MAY, need to supply a tank for destructive testing. In 8 years of importing high pressure tanks 350 Bar i have never been asked to one to destroy one - as the manufacturer supplies US DOT in the US for testing.

So once that particular MODEL tank has been given a WC Number that tank now can be stamped or marked with the APPROVAL number - this is its 100% okay for filling stations to fill.
If it doesn't have the AS stamp or a WC number is cannot be filled by an employee of the filling station.

So in Australia the best Work Cover authority is NSW ( i live in Vic) - get a WC design approval number and it is recognized in all states and territories .
The WC guys are great, about 6 weeks to get things checked and sorted. Think it was about $79 per cylinder.

ONCE that one model ( there is one number per 1 model, any variation in model is a new WC number ) has been given a number then that is added to the list of approved pressure vessels ( tanks ).
So if i bring in a DOT 123456 tank that is a steel 10lt, and it gets a WC Number 654321 then ANYONE ELSE in Australia who brings in that Model DOT 123456 doesn't need to get it approved again - as its on the list,

One manufacturer such as Luxfer in 2003 tried to tell us that we could only buy from the one distributor here in AU : poppy cock.
With a list of WC design numbers from WC and AStandards we were able to directly bring in cylinders in from the USA without issue.
I understand that the AU company had to pay to have WC design numbers for each Model, but with 300% markup over 5 years - i had had enough.

When in doubt talk to WC and its they who supply info to AS and vice versa.

A testing station is a great place for what pressure vessels they know to test ... scuba cylinders are a tiny portion of what is AS complaint without AS stamps.

One testing station was trying to tell me a 350 bar carbon fiber wrap needs to be tested yearly - it's once every 5 years actually with a 15 year lifespan according to the Yanks. ( Most get destroyed at 5 years regardless ).

LCX Cylinder Fitness Check Poster - Asia Pacific - Luxfer: Setting The Standard Worldwide

 

[scubaalblake]

As far as I know you mean BS5045 Part 1 (for steel tanks). Its still current and Fabers are stamped with it, including the ones imported into Aus. Dont think BS5014 ever existed for SCUBA tanks did it?

 

[jock1e]

I asked this question myself: Answer is for your sales people
Can you Import a SCUBA tank into Australia and get it certified "YES"

The Answer is YES and you arrive there by insanity now follow the bouncing ball
All tanks Steel or Aluminum worldwide must meet the appropriate international standard issued by the United Nations
All countries issue their own Standard Number which is the equivalent of the UN Number (why bother)
CIG produced steel tanks and applied for an Australian Standard (they are long out of business)
No one in Australia has produced SCUBA tanks (for more than 20 years)
According to standards Australia they do "No testing they just issue a standard if you apply for one" sounds safe to me
Until I advised them of how old AS 1777 was for Aluminum tanks they did not know exactly
The National Testing Authority has no one here who knows anything about testing or certifying tanks
They gave me a contact he scurried to a dark corner and made feeble crying sounds when asked if he would do it
There is no one in Australia who tests or certifies new tanks that do not meet an existing standard
Work Safe who do Industrial Inspection & Certification ( your Dept Labour & Industry) recite the mantra must meet AUS Standard
When I explained that Standards Australia, do no Testing just hand out certificates and their head (CEO) stated AUS standards are not legally
enforceable as they are only voluntary. He was totally stupefied they have probably been prosecuting people citing AUS standards.
I assume their legal boffins went insane at that.

Eventually I got on to a man from Work Safe in New South Wales who knew the answer.
I have confirmed this answer for Victoria with Work Safe
I assume a similar set up applies for other States.
I have checked with an older man who certifies SCUBA tanks he also verifies this.
The form attached above must be filled out (section on Pressure Vessels only) the tank must be pressure tested by an authorized SCUBA test station the form submitted to Work Safe
for their approval once approved the SCUBA tank can then be stamped AS 1777

Oh how I love bureaucracy as they say I'm from the Government I'm here to help
As far as I know virtually all tanks originate from two sources Catalina Cylinders in the US and Faber in Italy so why all the standards B!S! countries trying to protect their turf
with bogus standards I guess.
I also found out but the person could not discuss it openly AUS and New Zealand are re writing all their standards to new AU/NZ Standard most likely as a non tariff trade barrier.

PS in AUS SCUBA tanks are pressure tested and visually inspected annually they have no service life or expiry date as in the US they can be used till they explode no kidding!
it happened last year (2010) during a test with a 20 year old tank tester was injured. But just remember for safety it must be AS 1777 certified this took nearly 3 weeks of phone calls to get an answer. Enjoy

Hi where did you go in victoria to certify your tank i am just having the same problem i bought my faber steel dive tank over from NZ and there telling me it doesn't have the right stamp on it and i cant get it what is the best thing for me to do thanks

 

[scubaalblake]

BTW another thought for this thread. As far as I know Australia is the ONLY jurisdiction that requires annual hydro testing for SCUBA tanks. US is 5 years. UK used to be 3years - but has now moved to 5 years. NZ - who knows? Australia - ONE year.
I have 8 tanks. At approx. $50 per tank that's $400 in tests every year. Plus the hassle of coordinating doing without them for weeks. Are we really saying that the yanks have 5 times more explosions than Oz? Of course not. ...and of course there are unfortunate accidents occasionally everywhere due to poor process/procedure....but have the UK seen tanks exploding all the time due to extending to 5 years.....No
The 'rules' that say annual hydros in Oz are completely out of step with the rest of the world.
Interestingly I was talking to my LDS saying 'you must like it because you get all the extra test fees' and the response was - 'you must be joking....its a big hassle testing our OWN tanks!' And I used to work on an offshore resort where we had to ship tanks to the mainland annually for tests. 3 weeks turn-around. So who do we lobby/petition/approach to get the annual testing cycle reviewed? (rant over)

 

[DBF]

Hi jock1e

Try ocean dives, if they can't help they will be able to send you I the right direction. Have their own hydro on site

Paul

 

[Brett07]

I returned home from three years living and working in the USA with 3 Faber scuba tanks (BSE-100 model 12.9l)
To use in Australia I had to get registered by WorkSafe in Victoria. Cost $52 total. A bit of work and technical knowledge involved filling out the paper work and the guys from WorkSafe super helpful. Registration paperwork came through last week. Now anyone can bring in this Faber model from the USA and it is already registered in Australia.

 

[Peter Buzzacott]

Does anyone have a reasonably recent list of approved design tanks? I've just brought the last seven I didn't have time to sell from the US. They're pretty standard, Faber 3L steel for the CCR, Faber 10L steels for SM, a Luxfer DOT-3AL stage, etc. I'm confident they'll be on the list, just not sure where to get the list from.