PANIC! Can I use this bottle, it is Legal?

[rob_evanson]

I've just bought an Angel AIR and I'm not sure if's UK legal and if H-Pac will fill it, I'm pretty sure it's dual test but I'm not 100% can anybody shead any light on this.

The bottle has HSE-AL-FW2 on it but a little bit around it has DOT-E11194. Then under point 5 of thge warnings it says, quote

"RETEST EVERY 3 YEARS PER U.S DOT E1194/HSE-AL-FW2" Help me as I need this bottle for Elsham this weekend and I need to know if H-Pac will fill it, and it's due for test in December so will H-Pac test it?????

 

[Flash-Bugout]

For a while, most air bottles that you buy hve been dual-tested (and the WDP A.I.R. ones certainly have).

As you have the HSE-etc mark on the bottle, that shows it's ok for use in the UK (HSE certified).

Once you have it tested, however, it will be then effectively a single test bottle, as the other test (in this case DOT) will have expired.

HTH

 

[rob_evanson]

But if the DOT expires and I keep it under HSE test then I should be OK to use it in the UK untill the next test or untill H-PAC stop testing dual test, I did read that they don't like to do Dual test bottles as the DOT tests exceed the HSE standards or something to that effect.

 

[Parksy]

Your fine Rob. Just get it tested in December by Hpac. They retest it to HSE standard not DOT, so it loses its dual test validity but not its validity as an HSE bottle.

HSE testing actually exceeds that of DOT.

Only time you would have a problem is if the bottle had ran out of test and already been stamped as DOT tested

Hope that helps ya.

Dave

 

[KillerOnion]

And just what exactly are the standards?

I haven't seen anyone ask this before, but exactly how different are the standards and what are they? I've only heard that they're not taken as being the same, no specific numbers ever mentioned. Is one more durable than the other? Then why isn't the higher of the two taken every time and if it meets one then logically it'd meet the other? Or if there are different aspects measured and are apparently necessary for safety, then why aren't all of said aspects tested for? Or is this just a stupid US vs. metric issue? It just seems to me a bit peculiar if not outrightly stupid that it can't be settled all at once and be done with.

 

[Parksy]

I agree Onion, stupid how they don't all just get together and set one standard. CE bottles are going some way towards this but this is obviously a European standard and not a worldwide one.

As for the difference... I believe HSE is more stringent than DOT testing. Don't quote me on these numbers but I think the difference is something along the lines of... HSE, the 'poorest' 10% (don't know the number I'm inventing this) bottles have to be destroyed, and with DOT its the poorest 5% tested (again making the number up) have to be destroyed. So the standard of the pass level is higher for HSE then it is DOT.... someone will no doubt know the correct figures for this

Dave

 

[Rabies]

The full HSE specs (including the various stages of destruction testing required for a bottle design to pass) can be found at:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/spd/pdf/standard/hseal1.pdf (HSE-AL-FW1)
http://www.hse.gov.uk/spd/pdf/standard/hseal2.pdf (HSE-AL-FW2)

If someone knows where the equivalent DOT specification docs can be downloaded, you can compare and contrast

I haven't found an authorative source for the new CE standards yet - anyone?