Health and Safety
Executive
Diving cylinders: Guidance on their
manufacture, inspection and carriage
Diving Information Sheet No 11 (rev 1)
HSE information sheet
The relevant standards describing the inspection
Introduction requirements for diving cylinders are:
This is part of a series of information sheets • BS EN ISO 18119. Gas cylinders. Seamless steel
providing guidance on diving at work. It specifically and seamless aluminium-alloy gas cylinders and
provides guidance on the application of health and tubes. Periodic inspection and testing4
safety legislation in relation to the manufacture, • BS EN ISO 11623. Gas cylinders. Composite
inspection and carriage of diving cylinders. The construction periodic inspection and testing5
information contained within this guidance is also
relevant to recreational diving. These standards require that inspections and tests
are carried out by a competent person. There is no
unique legal definition of competence for cylinder
Manufacturing standards testing. However, many cylinder filling companies
and dive centres will only accept cylinders that have
Diving cylinders contain large amounts of stored
been examined and tested by organisations that are
energy. It is vital that they are made to appropriate
standards and maintained to ensure the safety of
• Appointment by the Secretary of State for
both the divers who use them and the people who
Transport for the purposes of inspection of gas
fill them. In the United Kingdom a cylinder used with
cylinders and/or
diving apparatus cannot be put on the market
• Working within the terms of a UKAS accredited
unless it conforms to the Pressure Equipment
scheme.
Directive (PED) 1, which is implemented in UK
legislation by the Pressure Equipment Regulations
The Diving Industry Committee has produced further
19992 (as amended). All diving cylinders
guidance on the periodicity of inspections in the form
manufactured to the PED will bear the CE mark.
of diving sector specific risk assessments6. However,
Cylinders made before the application of the PED
it remains the responsibility of individuals to assess
will not bear the CE mark but may continue to be
the condition and usage of their cylinders. In
used if they have been manufactured in accordance
particular, where it is suspected that water may have
with an appropriate standard and are maintained in
entered the cylinder inadvertently, that cylinder
serviceable condition.
should be removed from service until it has been
inspected by a competent person.
In-service inspections and tests
Cylinder owners are advised to contact their cylinder
Health and safety law3 requires that equipment used filling company to determine who should carry out
at work or in connection with work is properly the inspection and test. HSE recommends that any
maintained. Diving cylinders used at work or filled by inspection and testing regime is subject to
a person who is at work must therefore be subject to independent assurance.
a suitable inspection and test regime to ensure they
are safe. Recreational divers should note that this
applies to their cylinders where they are filled by a Stamp marking and labelling
person at work. It is, however, strongly
recommended that all cylinders whether used at National standards7 require a diving cylinder to be
work or not, are subject to such a test regime. Aside marked, to show that it has been subject to the
from the obvious safety issues, personal insurance relevant inspection/test and labelled to show the
cover might well be prejudiced if they are not. next test date. A test report should also be given to
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Health and Safety
Executive
the owner. It is recommended that cylinder owners 7 BS EN 1089-3 Transportable gas cylinders. Gas
retain these test reports as proof that the test has cylinder identification (excluding LPG)
been conducted by a suitably competent person.
8 British Compressed Gases Association
Guidance note 27
Transporting cylinders
9 Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of
If you are going to transport cylinders by road then Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations
they should be labelled in order to assist the 2009 (as amended)
emergency services in the event of an accident. This
should be with a label displaying the green 10 UK Appointed Inspection Bodies [Link]
compressed-gas hazard diamond, and an additional [Link]/vca/dangerousgoods/gb-appointed-
yellow hazard diamond if the gas has an oxygen [Link]
content greater than 23.5%. Further guidance on the
transport of gas cylinders in vehicles is available
from the British Compressed Gases Association8. Further reading
Commercial diving projects inland/inshore. Diving at
Specific testing for cylinders which are Work Regulations 1997. Approved Code of Practice
over 10 years old that are transported by and guidance L104 (Second edition) HSE Books
road for the purpose of work 2014 ISBN 978 0 7176 6593 8 [Link]/
pubns/books/[Link]
The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of
Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations Commercial diving projects offshore. Diving at Work
20099 require that cylinders carried in the course of Regulations 1997. Approved Code of Practice and
a work activity are in scope of ADR (the agreement guidance L103 (Second edition) HSE Books 2014
concerning the international carriage of dangerous ISBN 978 0 7176 6592 1 [Link]/pubns/
goods by road). In order to meet these specific books/[Link]
requirements, cylinder inspection must be
conducted by an organisation which has been Recreational diving projects. Diving at Work
appointed by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) Regulations 1997. Approved Code of Practice and
every 10 years post manufacture10. guidance L105 (Second edition) HSE Books 2014
ISBN 978 0 7176 6594 5 [Link]/pubns/
books/[Link]
References
Media diving projects. Diving at Work Regulations
1 Pressure Equipment Directive 1997. Approved Code of Practice and guidance
97/23/EC 29 May 1997 L106 (Second edition) HSE Books 2014 ISBN 978 0
7176 6595 2 [Link]/pubns/books/l106.
2 Pressure Equipment Regulations htm
1999 SI 1999/2001
Scientific and archaeological diving projects. Diving
3 Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Work Regulations 1997. Approved Code of
Practice and guidance L107 (Second edition) HSE
4 BS EN ISO 18119: Gas cylinders. Seamless steel Books 2014 ISBN 978 0 7176 6596 9 [Link].
and seamless aluminium-alloy gas cylinders and uk/pubns/books/[Link]
tubes. Periodic inspection and testing
British Standards Institution The Diving at Work Regulations 1997 SI 1997/2776
The Stationery Office 1997 ISBN 0 11 065170 7
5 BS EN ISO 11623: Gas cylinders. Composite
construction periodic inspection and testing Are you involved in a diving project at work? A brief
British Standards Institution guide to complying with health and safety law.
Leaflet INDG266(rev 2) [Link]/pubns/
6 Risk assessment of cylinder internal [Link]
examination periodicity [Link]
[Link]/ publications/452/risk-assessment-of-
cylinder-internal-examination-periodicity/
2 of 3 pages
Health and Safety
Executive
Further information
For information about health and safety, or to report
inconsistencies or inaccuracies in this guidance,
visit [Link]/. You can view HSE guidance
online and order priced publications from the
website. HSE priced publications are also available
from bookshops.
This guidance is issued by the Health and Safety
Executive. Following the guidance is not
compulsory, unless specifically stated, and you
are free to take other action. But if you do follow
the guidance you will normally be doing enough to
comply with the law. Health and safety inspectors
seek to secure compliance with the law and may
refer to this guidance.
This leaflet is available at [Link]
pubns/[Link].
© Crown copyright If you wish to reuse this
information visit [Link]/[Link] for
details. First published 01/18.
Published by the Health and Safety Executive DVIS11(rev1) Revised 02/20 3 of 3 pages