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[druid]

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D.O.T Renames Bottle Exemptions to Special Permits
By The High-Pressure Gnome
Jan 17, 2008, 09:35

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The division within the Federal Government Department of Transportation that oversees hazardous materials-The Department of Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA-what a mouthful)-has revamped the exemption codes that are used to describe the standards under which various pressure vessels (tanks) are manufactured. Those standards include materials used, method of manufacture, restrictions on the materials stored within the vessels, usable working life and re-testing requirements for re-certification.

In other words, the names used on an air tank that tell you when you need to get it hydroed (and how many times it can be hydroed), have been changed.

Paintballers are no doubt familiar with the 3AL, 3E, 311005 and other designations used on both CO2 and HPA/nitrogen systems. These designations are still in use for bottles that are manufactured under the old "exemption code" system and will remain valid for the usable lifetime of those systems. Newly manufactured bottles will now come with an "SP" -for Special Permits -designation.

This changeover may have confused some individuals who were attempting to use the HAZMAT.GOV website to look up exemption codes, since the old page listing those codes in sequential order has been replaced by a new page listing SP designations, and no conversion or additional lookup help is provided on the site.

Although it has not been specifically verified by PHMSA Special Permit Specialists (that�s their title), it seems that in many cases the letter designation (such as 'E') in an exemption code has simply been switched for "SP". A search for the 3E1800 exemption code was successfully concluded by simply placing "SP" in front of the original exemption code in the search box ("SP 3E1800").

Exemption Codes and Special Permits can be found at HTTP://HAZMAT.DOT.GOV,

In related news: there does not appear to be any connection between this branch of the Federal Government and Smart Parts Inc, despite the shared use of the abbreviation 'SP'.

[Fireball]

SP will be suing the US government pretty soon here. Rumor has it that their lawyers are typing a cease and desist letter pretty soon.

[WilD]

Paintballers are no doubt familiar with the 3AL, 3E, 311005 and other designations used on both CO2 and HPA/nitrogen systems.

I doubt this statement is accurate. I was going to write something to the affect that anything that adds more confusion surrounding high pressure cylinders in paintball is a very bad thing. However, I don't think this will have much of an affect on the already poor knowledge of the average user.

[incynr8]

I just buy new tanks every 5 years and forget about all this mumbo jumbo. 3.5s and 7s for co2, then bitch about the 15 year thing at the fill station and new tanks every 4 or 5 to avoid the whole rehydro mess.
I could care less if the tank just said:

AIR TANK- EXPIRES 04/2009:
Made in USA
Have a nice day.

[stevedavidson]

accurate at least in the sense that they've seen those numbers at some point or other.