The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has approved a Practice Guide called “Guide to Gas Cylinders” (APG 4-2).

The purpose of this code is to provide an acceptable solution for gas cylinders which are required to comply with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, the Hazardous Substances (Compressed Gases) Regulations 2004 and other Hazardous Substances Regulations as applicable.

The aim of the Guide is to assist and guide any person, group or organisation that is involved in, or intends being involved in, the importation, manufacture, storage, handling or periodic testing of gas cylinders and fittings.

The Approved Practice Guide applies to the design, manufacture and approval of the following gas cylinders and fittings as defined in the Hazardous Substances (Compressed Gases) Regulations 2004:

• Compressed Gas Containers
• Fire Extinguishers
• Fittings
• Aerosols.

Note: see the Guide to Gas Cylinders (1992) for further technical information.

Table of Contents

1. SCOPE
1.1. Introduction
1.2. Scope
1.3. The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996
1.4. Regulations, Transfer Notices and Group Standards
1.5. The Hazardous Substances (Compressed Gases) Regulations 2004
1.6. The Hazardous Substances (Identification) Regulations 2001
1.7. The Hazardous Substances (Classification) Regulations 2001
1.8. The Hazardous Substances (Emergency Management) Regulations 2001
1.9. The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Personnel Qualifications)
Regulations 2001
1.10. The Hazardous Substances (Classes 1 to 5 Controls) Regulations 2001
1.11. The Hazardous Substances (Classes 6, 8 and 9 Controls) Regulations 2001 9
1.12. The Hazardous Substances (Dangerous Goods and Scheduled Toxic
Substances) Transfer Notice 2004
1.13. The Hazardous Substances (Pesticides) Transfer Notice 2004
1.14. The Aerosols Group Standards 2006
1.15. The Compressed Gas Mixtures Group Standards 2006
1.16. Sources of Information
2. COMPRESSED GASES
2.1. How are compressed gases classified?
2.2. Common gas classifications
2.3. What is a Permanent Gas?
2.4. What is a Dry Gas?
2.5. What is a Liquefiable Gas?
2.6. Other Gases
3. APPROVAL OF CYLINDERS.
3.1. What cylinders require approval?
3.2. What does an approval consist of?
3.3. What are approved design standards?
3.4. What are the design requirements?
3.5. What are the steps for obtaining cylinder design verification?
3.6. What are the steps for obtaining a Cylinder Pre-Commissioning test
certificate?
3.7. What are the steps for obtaining a Cylinder Pre-Commissioning test
certificate?
3.8. What are the steps for obtaining an Import Clearance test certificate?
3.9. One off Cylinders – LAB SP Numbers
3.10. Change of Gas Traffic.
3.11. Approval of Fire Extinguishers.
4. MARKING AND LABELLING
4.1. What are the identification requirements?
4.2. Permanent markings for cylinders and fire extinguishers.
4.3. Alternative marking locations for empty weight.
4.4. Markings for low pressure fire extinguishers.
4.5. Additional markings for certain cylinders.
4.6. Markings on cylinders manufactured prior to March 1980.
4.7. Abbreviations and units of pressure, capacity and weight.
4.8. Use of suffixes for identifying gas traffic.
4.9. Marking and labelling by periodic tester.
4.10. Colour code for identification of periodic re-testing.
4.11. Cylinder contents identification/labelling.
4.12. Identification/labelling of fire extinguishers.
4.13. Identification/labelling of SCBA and SCUBA cylinders.
4.14. Identification/labelling of cylinders used for mixed gas SCUBA diving
(Nitrox, EANx and DNAx).
4.15. Identification/labelling of aerosol dispensers.
4.16. Identification/labelling of non-refillable containers.
4.17. Additional markings for LPG cylinders.
4.18. Markings for valves.
4.19. Markings for Regulators.
4.20. Markings for adaptors.
4.21. Markings for automatic changeover devices for LPG.
4.22. Clarity of markings on valves and fittings.
4.23. Cylinder contents identification by colour.
5. NECK THREADS, VALVES, SAFETY DEVICES AND FITTINGS.
5.1. Preferred Cylinder Neck Threads.
5.2. Non-preferred Cylinder Neck Threads.
5.3. Valve Specifications
5.4. LPG Cylinder Valve Adaptors.
5.6. How Must Valves be Removed and Refitted?
5.7. Over–pressure Protection Devices.
5.8. Over-filling Protection Devices (OPDs) in LPG Cylinders.
5.9. Regulators and Automatic Change over Devices.
5.10. Test Certification of Fittings for LPG
5.11. What happens if a test certifier fails to give clearance to a fitting?
5.12. Waivers of clearance requirements.
6. HANDLING AND STORAGE.
6.1. Why must cylinders be handled and stored carefully?
6.2. Cylinder attitude.
6.3. Transportation
6.4. Care and Maintenance.
6.5. What are the requirements for handling cylinders?
6.7. What are the threshold levels?
6.8. What are the requirements for storing cylinders
6.9. Can a location test certificate be issued for an extended period?
7. FILLING CYLINDERS
7.1. Which cylinders may be filled?
7.2. Who may fill cylinders?
7.3. How does a person become Approved Filler?
7.4. What are the Exemptions from the Approved Filler Requirements?
7.5. General.
7.6. What are the Filling Conditions for Permanent Gases?
7.7. What are the filling conditions for liquefiable gases?
7.8. What are the procedures for imported pre-filled cylinders?
7.9. What are the requirements for cylinders that are used in another country but
filled in New Zealand?
7.10. Filling SCBA and SCUBA Cylinders.
7.11. Filling SCUBA cylinders with mixed gases (Nitrox, Enriched Air/ EANx,
De-nitrogenated Air/DNAx)
7.12. The NZLPGA Filler Training Programme.
7.13. Filling Stations.
7.14. Disposable Gas Cartridges
8. PERIODIC INSPECTION AND TESTING.
8.1. What does periodic inspection and testing involve?
8.2. What are the controls that set out the requirements for periodic testing?
8.3. Who can carry out periodic inspection and testing?
8.4. How does a person become a periodic tester?
8.5. What are the inspection and testing requirements?
8.6. Why is the Date of Manufacture of a Cylinder Important?
8.7. Inspection and Test Periods of Validity.
8.8. Fire Extinguishers
8.9. Acetylene Cylinders.
8.10. What if a cylinder cannot be inspected internally?
8.11. What type of lubricants and sealants are suitable?
8.12. What happens when a cylinder fails periodic inspection or test?
8.13. Can a cylinder be repaired?
9. IDENTIFICATION OF CYLINDERS
9.1. Identification of Approved Cylinders
ATTACHMENT 1: ANTECEDENTS
ATTACHMENT II: EQUIVALENT METRIC AND IMPERIAL PRESSURES
ATTACHMENT III: GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND DEFINITIONS USED IN THIS
GUIDE
ATTACHMENT IV: ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS GUIDE
ATTACHMENT V: OTHER RELEVANT ABBREVIATIONS