# Foster Fuels, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 11-0220
- **title:** Foster Fuels, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2011-11-03
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 11-0220 response to Foster Fuels, Inc. concerning 180.205, 180.209.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0220.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0220.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0220
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2011/110220.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
I'~UV 0 8 2011
Mr. John George
Foster Fuels Inc.
P.O. Box 190
Brookneal, VA 24528
Reference No.: 11-0220
Dear Mr. George:
This responds to your email requesting clarification of Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR;
49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the marking requirements for Department of Transportation
(DOT) specification cylinders. Specifically, you ask if the Retester Identification Number (RIN)
must be marked on DOT specification cylinders that have been given an external visual inspection
in accordance with § 180.209(g) if the cylinders are used exclusively on private property and are
not offered for transportation.
Cylinders that are filled and used exclusively on private property and are not offered for
transportation in commerce are not directly regulated under the HMR. However, these cylinders
are subject to the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standards. In accordance
with OSHA standard 29 CFR § 1910.101, each employer shall determine that compressed gas
cylinders under their control are in a safe condition to the extent that this can be determined by
visual inspection conducted in accordance with the HMR. As stated in 49 CFR § 180.205(b), no
person may mark a cylinder to represent that it meets a DOT specification unless all applicable
requirements of 49 CFR Subpart C of Part 180 have been met. A cylinder that is marked to certify
that it conforms to HMR requirements must be maintained in accordance with applicable
specification requirements in the HMR whether or not it is in transportation in commerce. This
includes the marking of the RIN on DOT specification cylinders meeting the requirements
specified in § 180.209(g). If the owner of the DOT specification cylinder wishes to continue to
use the cylinder but does not wish to re-qualify the cylinder as a specification cylinder and mark
the RIN to denote compliance with § 180.209(g), the owner must obliterate or cover any
specification markings whether or not it is being used to transport hazardous materials in
commerce.
I hope this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Director
tandards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Benedict)
!3 ISO ·20'1 L:J
Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA) ~ 130. 'LIB
From: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2011 10:02 AM
To: Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
Subject: FW: Cylinder Requalifcation
Attachments: image001.jpg
Hi Carolyn,
We received the following request for a letter of interpretation.
Thanks,
Victoria
Victoria Lehman
Hazmat Information Center (HMIC)
http://phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/info-center
(202) 366-1035
From: John George [mailto:john.george@fosterfuels.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 4:39 PM
To: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)
Subject: Cylinder Requalifcation
Request written interpretation for subject matter.
Request clarification on section 180.209(g) and 180.213 as to the marking requirement of the RIN number by a propane
distributor when requalifying a DOT cylinder (by external visual only) at a consumer's home, cylinder is not in
transportation.
Background: NFPA 582008 edition states under section 5.2.2 Cylinders: that the RIN number is not required to be
marked on the cylinder when the cylinder is requalified utilizing the external visual inspection because the cylinder is not
in transportation.
Based on our application and letter from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to Foster Fuels Inc.
(RIN #V112258) it seems the RIN is required on all DOT cylinder requalification's.
I hope you can add some clarity.
With Regards,
John George, Foster Fuels
Celebrating 90 Years of Service Excellence.•• 1921-2011
John George
Safety Director
1

<<<PAGE 3>>>

!'1V;Y 1 !3n)oknea!; VA 24S2H
I Fax 434.:376.5969
contain confident!,,11 information belongin9
pi'ohibit"tl, I f are the
2
- **truncated:** false
- **body characters:** 3963
