# Chart Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 19-0102  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2020-01-14

19-0102 response to Chart Inc. concerning 178.57.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
JA N n 9 2020
Bruce Sanborn
Regulatory Compliance Manager
Chart Inc.
407 Seventh Street N.W.
New Prague, MN 56071
Reference No. 19-0102
Dear Mr. Sanborn:
This letter is in response to your July 31, 2019, letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CPR Parts 171-180) applicable to the manufacture of DOT
Specification 4 L cylinders. You seek confirmation of your understanding that the phrase "same
condition" as used in§ 178.57(j)(l) means the sheet or plate material has received all plate
processing operations-inciuding heat treatment-as the material used to form the heads and the
cylinder. Specifically, you ask whether tensile test samples may be taken from the flat plate that
will be used to form the heads or cylinder, or whether the samples must be taken from the head
or cylinder after forming.
Tensile samples must be taken from either the head or cylinder after it has been formed. In
accordance with§ 178.570)(1), "the test is required on 2 specimens selected from the material of
each heat and in the same condition as that in the completed cylinder." In other words, a sample
from the flat plate that will be used to form the head or the cylinder would not be in its
completed form or in the condition of a completed cylinder. Therefore, the test sample must be
taken from either the head or the cylinder once the cylinder has been formed.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
,..-~ -., ,v· -1.,, _ , /~/
: ~ -/ ~ ,,. t
D'' e . ren
ctf, Stan ards Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

C/uirtinc.
Disti-ilmtion & Storrurc
407 Seventh Street N .W.
New Prague, MN 56071-1000
Phone: 952.758.4484 Fax: 952.758.8255
www.charr-ind.com
Mr. Shane Kelley
Director, Standards and Rulemaking Division
US DOT/ PHMSA (PHH-10)
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE East Building, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20590
July 31 , 2019
Mr. Kelley,
Request for interpretation related to the manufacture of DOT 4L liquid cylinders per 49 CFR
178.57.
49 CFR 178.570)(1) indicates the tensile test samples must be selected from material of each
heat number and in the same condition as that in the completed cylinder.
Chart's understanding of "same condition" is that the sheet / plate material has received all plate
processing operations, including heat treatment, as the material that will be used to form the
heads and the cylinder.
Can the tensile test samples can be taken from the flat plate that will be used to form the heads
or cylinder, or must the samples be taken from the head or cylinder after forming?
Sincerely,
-/J~,0_/4~
Bruce Sanborn
Regulatory Compliance Manager

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/73136/190102.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `975767566b50f5fe757aeb739824a2d5d262d73ccca0770b203a5dab652ed693`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-25T22:19:44.064Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-19-0102`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "materialSubtype": "interpretation",
  "interpretationArea": "hazardous_materials",
  "representation": "full_text_from_official_pdf",
  "companies": [
    "Chart Inc."
  ],
  "individuals": [
    "Bruce Sanborn"
  ],
  "refIds": [
    "19-0102"
  ],
  "catalogDates": [
    "2020-01-14"
  ],
  "catalogParts": [
    178
  ],
  "catalogRowCount": 1,
  "sourceRecordUrls": [
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/node/71906"
  ],
  "linkedAttachmentUrls": [],
  "unavailableResponseUrls": [],
  "duplicateRepresentationUrls": [],
  "citedSections": [
    "178.57",
    "178.57(j)(l)",
    "178.570"
  ],
  "catalogPageUrls": [
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/17857"
  ],
  "pdfUrls": [
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/73136/190102.pdf"
  ],
  "representations": [
    {
      "viewUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/73136/190102.pdf",
      "detailUrl": null,
      "detailHtmlPath": null,
      "pdfUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/73136/190102.pdf",
      "pdfArtifactPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/19-0102-c57874d7d9.pdf",
      "pdfArtifactSha256": "30b07789a96510594740bb794a1fdfe4f41a274568a650df7afda8693aaea4db",
      "extractedTextPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/19-0102-c57874d7d9.v2.txt",
      "extractedTextSha256": "aa59da77640e7a21f7a363ecfe37c3ee202a5961f13570ea5d2964bdafc19d52",
      "pageCount": 2,
      "extractionVersion": 2
    }
  ],
  "caveat": "Interpretations apply regulations to the facts presented and do not create independently enforceable requirements.",
  "jurisdiction": "US"
}
```