AS 3848.

1—1999

Australian Standard™
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Filling of portable gas cylinders

Part 1: Decant filling of medical

air and oxygen into portable
cylinders—Safe procedures
 This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee ME/2, Gas Cylinders. It was
approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 16 November 1998
and published on 5 February 1999.

The following interests are represented on Committee ME/2:

A.C.T. WorkCover
Airconditioning and Refrigeration Wholesalers Association
Australian Association of Certification Bodies
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
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Australian Institute of Pressure Equipment Engineers

Australian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Manufacturers Association of Australia
Department for Administrative and Information, S.A.
Department of Defence (Australia)
Department of Mines and Energy, Qld
Department of Training and Industrial Relations, Qld
Fire Protection Association of Australia
Institute of Metals and Materials Australasia
Institution of Engineers Australia
The Australian Gas Association
Victorian WorkCover Authority
Welding Technology Institute of Australia
WorkCover New South Wales
Work Health Authority, N.T.

Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are
subject to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editions as
necessary. It is important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest
edition, and any amendments thereto.
Full details of all Australian Standards and related publications will be found in the Standards Australia
Catalogue of Publications; this information is supplemented each month by the magazine ‘The
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new editions and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards.
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Australia, are welcomed. Notification of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australian Standard
should be made without delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken.

This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 97482.

 AS 3848.1—1999
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Australian Standard™

Filling of portable gas cylinders

Part 1: Decant filling of medical

air and oxygen into portable
cylinders—Safe procedures

Originated in part as part of AS CB4 Supplement 3 — 1974

and AS CB4 Supplement 4 — 1974.
Previous editions AS 2704 — 1984 and AS 2705 — 1984.
AS 2704 — 1984 and AS 2705 — 1984 revised, amalgamated
and redesignated in part as AS 3848.1 — 1999.

Published by Standards Australia

(Standards Association of Australia)
1 The Crescent, Homebush, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7337 2382 9
 AS 3848.1 — 1999 2

PREFACE

This Standard was prepared by the Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand Committee
ME/2, Gas Cylinders. It is the result of a consensus amongst representatives on the Joint
Committee to produce it as an Australian Standard.
This Standard provides guidance on safe practices to enable the filling of medical air or
oxygen into portable cylinders. It gives details of recommended methods of decant filling
of medical air and decant filling of medical oxygen. It also stresses the need for trained
staff only to be involved in these procedures.
These practices are to be applied in conjunction with the cylinder manufacturer’s
instructions.
The Standard also calls attention to the dangers of dealing with these compressed gases
stressing the extreme dangers of interchanging medical air equipment with that specified
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as oxygen use only.

There are particular hazards associated with decanting of oxygen, at pressures greater than
17 500 kPa (17.5 MPa) settled pressure at 15°C, and that process is beyond the scope of
this Standard.
The filling of portable cylinders by the use of compressors is beyond the scope of this
Standard. Details of the safe procedure for this method of filling portable cylinder is
covered by AS 3848.2, Filling of portable gas cylinders, Part 2: Filling of portable
cylinders for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) and non-
underwater self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) — Safe procedures.
The term ‘informative’ has been used in this Standard to define the application of the
appendix to which it applies. An ‘informative’ appendix is only for information and
guidance.
It should be noted that medicinal gases, however filled, are regulated in Australia under
the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (the Act) by the Therapeutic Goods Administration
(TGA). The requirements of this Act include entry of therapeutic goods (including
medicinal gases) on the Australian Register for Therapeutic Goods and the licensing of
manufacturers (as defined by the Act) by the TGA.
Other authorities and regulations may affect the use of this Standard and users should be
aware of this possibility.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT COMPLIANCE WITH THIS STANDARD MAY NOT
NECESSARILY FULFIL ALL LEGAL OBLIGATIONS.

© Copyright STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

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exclusively in-house by purchasers of the Standard without payment of a royalty or advice to Standards Australia.
Standards Australia will also permit the inclusion of its copyright material in computer software programs for no royalty
payment provided such programs are used exclusively in-house by the creators of the programs.
Care should be taken to ensure that material used is from the current edition of the Standard and that it is updated whenever the
Standard is amended or revised. The number and date of the Standard should therefore be clearly identified.
The use of material in print form or in computer software programs to be used commercially, with or without payment, or in
commercial contracts is subject to the payment of a royalty. This policy may be varied by Standards Australia at any time.
 3 AS 3848.1 — 1999

CONTENTS
Page

SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL

1.1 SCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4 DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH CYLINDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.5 PRECAUTIONS IN THE USE OF CYLINDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

SECTION 2 CYLINDER FILLING AND GAS PURITY

2.1 FILLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.2 FILLING OF MEDICAL AIR AND OXYGEN GAS CYLINDERS
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BY DECANTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

SECTION 3 CYLINDERS
3.1 SELECTION OF CYLINDER AND VALVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2 STORAGE OF CYLINDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.3 INSPECTION AND TESTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.4 MARKING AND IDENTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.5 OWNER’S RECORDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

APPENDIX A CYLINDER MARKINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

 AS 3848.1 — 1999 4

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard
Filling of portable gas cylinders

Part 1: Decant filling of medical air and oxygen into portable

cylinders — Safe procedures

S E C T I O N 1 S C O P E A N D G E N E R A L

1.1 SCOPE This Standard provides guidance on safe practices for the decant filling of
medical air or medical oxygen into portable cylinders.
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These gases are recognized as medicinal gases and as such are subject to regulation under
the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (the Act) by the Therapeutic Goods Administration
(TGA). The requirements of this Act include entry of therapeutic goods (including
medicinal gases) on the Australian Register for Therapeutic Goods and the licensing of
manufacturers (as defined in the Act) by the TGA.
Compression filling of gaseous oxygen, because of its complexity, is a potentially
hazardous procedure and this Standard does not endorse this practice.
There are special dangers associated with handling oxygen. The practices given in this
Standard for oxygen are intended to be applied only by suitably trained personnel.
WARNING: DANGER OF EXPLOSION. INCOMPATIBILITY MAY CAUSE
PROBLEMS IF EQUIPMENT PREVIOUSLY USED FOR MEDICAL AIR
(MAXIMUM OF 22% OXYGEN) IS USED WITH OXYGEN-ENRICHED
MIXTURES. TRAINED PERSONNEL ONLY SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN
PRACTICES CONCERNING MEDICAL OXYGEN AND MEDICAL AIR.
NOTE: Resuscitators for human use as used by ambulance authorities, medical and paramedic
personnel are referred to in AS 2488.
Dangers associated with filling cylinders for these applications are identified, and safe
practices to minimize these dangers are given. The practices are intended to be applied in
conjunction with the equipment manufacturer’s instructions.
Decant filling of medical oxygen for use by the filling organizations on patients in their
care, together with decanting methods for personal and domestic use, are considered to be
outside the scope of this Standard. Practices and methods given in this Standard are also
recommended for use in areas exempted from TGA licensing requirements.
There are particular hazards associated with decanting of oxygen above 17 500 kPa
(17.5 MPa) settled pressure at 15°C, and that process is beyond the scope of this
Standard.
Guidance is given on decanting equipment, selection and storage of cylinders, and
cylinder reconditioning.
Compressed air for use with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and self-contained
underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) is specifically excluded from this Standard
(refer to AS 3848.2).

1.2 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS The following documents are referred to in this

Standard:

COPYRIGHT
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AS 3848.1-1999, Filling of portable gas cylinders

Decant filling of medical air and oxygen into
portable cylinders - Safe procedures
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

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