Shipping Scuba Tanks

[Leadking]

I just sold some tanks and shipped them, and FedEx told me that even when empty, compressed gas cylinders are classed as hazardous materials. (!!)

So maybe things have changed recently.

I shipped over 20,000 tanks a year via freight services. Motor freight, UPS, FedEx, and USPS. Oxyhacker has it right for individuals. Most transportation companies assume the worst from private parties. I even sent helium cylinders to Truk for one of my trips. Remove the valve, plug or tape over the opening. Final note: It is classified hazardous ONLY if there is more than 42psi pressure in the cylinder.

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

Thanks everyone. So for the first leg of my trip I'll probably just drop the pressure (since no one will actually be inspecting the package, I just want to ensure it is safe).

For the second part, since it needs to clear customs, guess I should remove the valve. In reality, a plug or tape is enough to keep them clean? Do they ever find anything on a VIP that developed simply because a valve was taken off for a week.

 

[beanojones]

Final note: It is classified hazardous ONLY if there is more than 42psi pressure in the cylinder.

FedEx's rules were read staight out of the book to me: Compressed gas cylinders are considered hazardous materials, even when empty.

I did not make the rule. I did watch the FedEx guy read directly from their book though. He looked it up, and read it out (because he did not know the answer to the question.)

 

[Leadking]

FedEx's rules were read staight out of the book to me: Compressed gas cylinders are considered hazardous materials, even when empty.

I did not make the rule. I did watch the FedEx guy read directly from their book though. He looked it up, and read it out (because he did not know the answer to the question.)

DOT classifies Hazmat. DOT shipping rules is what has everbodies undies in a knot over overfilling cylinders. Is fedEx not following the DOT rulebook?

 

[oxyhacker]

The CFR is quite clear on this, that a tank is considered empty, and not a hazmat, if it holds less than 40-something psia.

I thought it might be possible that Fedex has its own, more restrictive, rules so I gave them a call, but the woman I talked to at the Fedex hazmat hotline immediately cited the CFR and said that was what Fedex goes by.

She was very curious as to where I had heard otherwise, and said this is a frequent source of confusions they would like to get straightened out, so any details on who told you so, and what the book was they showed you, would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, she agreed it was a good idea to remove the valve rather than count on being able to demonstrate that the tank held <40 psia.

FedEx's rules were read staight out of the book to me: Compressed gas cylinders are considered hazardous materials, even when empty.

I did not make the rule. I did watch the FedEx guy read directly from their book though. He looked it up, and read it out (because he did not know the answer to the question.)

 

[oxyhacker]

OK, here's what probably happened. The Fedex person probably found CFR49 § 173.29 Empty packagings (the Fedex hazmat handbook mostly repeats verbatim the CFR) and read you this:

"(a)Except as otherwise provided in this section, an empty packaging
containing only the residue of a hazardous material shall be offered for
transportation and transported in the same manner as when it previously
contained a greater quantity of that hazardous material."

But neglected to read the list of exceptions that follows:

"(2) The packaging&#8212;
(ii) Is sufficiently cleaned of residue and purged of vapors to remove any potential
hazard;
(iii) Is refilled with a material which is not hazardous to such an extent that any
residue remaining in the packaging no longer poses a hazard; or
(iv) Contains only the residue of&#8212;
(A) An ORM-D material; or
(B) A Division 2.2 non-flammable gas, other than ammonia, anhydrous, and with
no subsidiary hazard, at an absolute pressure less than 280 kPa (40.6 psia); at
20 °C (68 °F)"

Air and oxygen are both Division 2.2 gasses. so either (ii) or (iv)(B) would cover empty scuba tanks.

I did not make the rule. I did watch the FedEx guy read directly from their book though. He looked it up, and read it out (because he did not know the answer to the question.)

 

[Van Isle]

working in shipping and receiving, we have received scuba tanks back (returned to sender) because the valves were left on. The tanks were empty, but it was apparently part of this company's check to ensure empty tanks by having all the valves removed. Plugs were okay. We could fight them tooth and nail to the letter of the law, but that doesn't stop the additional hassle. FWIW this particular shipment was air overseas. We had to remove the valves, throw in plugs, and spend another coupla $$$ to get a truck to move these crates back to the airport. Oh, and remove the "dangerous goods" sticker.

On that note, depending on what you are moving, it might be worthwhile to send it as dangerous goods. Last time I did that was FEDEXing my motorcycle from Panama to Vancouver. Cost me $75USD (just the dangerous goods paperwork, not the shipping of a motorcycle!) AND you get a cool sticker.

VI

 

[beanojones]

The CFR is quite clear on this, that a tank is considered empty, and not a hazmat, if it holds less than 40-something psia.

I thought it might be possible that Fedex has its own, more restrictive, rules so I gave them a call, but the woman I talked to at the Fedex hazmat hotline immediately cited the CFR and said that was what Fedex goes by.

She was very curious as to where I had heard otherwise, and said this is a frequent source of confusions they would like to get straightened out, so any details on who told you so, and what the book was they showed you, would be greatly appreciated.

The book was the one under the counter at the FedEx Kinko's/Fedex Office that FedEx prints and hands out to its employees so that they can look up answers to questions by customers about what is OK to ship.

Being a big company of course means the book (that is all the dude in the local shipping counter has to go by) may well be 15 years out of date. I am sure that the number of times FedEx has audited the version number of their shipping rules and guidelines handbook at the various counters of theirs is some number less than one.

I will ask to look at the book and get a version number and what not, though. If I can.

 

[beanojones]

Unrelated note:
oxyhacker's PM box was full so I could not ask him a question in PM.

 

[oxyhacker]

sorry, it has been fixed.

Unrelated note:
oxyhacker's PM box was full so I could not ask him a question in PM.