Posted by dvrjon on June 03, 2001 at 08:23:20:
In Reply to: Visual Question For Our Board Experts. posted by Steve on June 02, 2001 at 18:39:27:
Just to add a little fact to the issue. The governing federal regulation pertains to hazardous materials (compressed gas storage cylinders).
Speicific testing and hydro/VIP requirements can be found in Title 49,CFR 173.34(e)(3).
WWW location is: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/get-cfr.cgi?
TITLE=49&PART=173&SECTION=34&YEAR=1999&TYPE=TEXT
(e) Periodic qualification and marking of cylinders. Each cylinder that becomes due for periodic retest as specified in the following table must be retested and marked in conformance with the requirements of this paragraph. (I had not copied the table, but it includes scuba cylinders).
(3) Visual inspection. Except as otherwise provided in this section, each time a cylinder is retested, it must be visually inspected, internally and externally, in accordance with CGA Pamphlets C-6, C-6.1, C-6.2, or C-6.3, as applicable. The cylinder must be approved, rejected or condemned according to the criteria in the applicable CGA pamphlet.
Bill High's PSI group will tell you that their standards for VIP far exceed the CGA standards.
You should also be aware that the scuba industry is virtually self-regulated, and each shop may have more stringent (PSI) requirements for accepting a VIP.
Best wishes.
dvrjon