​Even after the tragedy in Crevedia, which once again showed how dangerous the handling of petroleum products is and the violation of safety rules, classifieds sites are still selling rusty and pathetic LPG cylinders. Another no less dangerous practice is loading gas or camping cylinders at car gas stations.

“Normal blue 100 lei. He still has gas for 10 days. Cannot be sent by courier, pick up from Constanta,” reads the OLX ad, placed next to an image of a rusty bottle that you would hardly suspect was once blue.

“For sale stove cylinder, in good condition, with clock, hose and cap 120 lei,” reads another ad about a cylinder in even more miserable condition, completely covered in rust.

“Two furnace cylinders without a neck, empty. In good working condition. I provide transportation in Constanta. I do not send by courier. 110 bargains,” says another seller.

In the last two weeks, after the tragedy in Krevedia, no fewer than 13 such ads were posted on OLX for the sale of rusty bottles without inscriptions at prices ranging from 100 to 270 lei.

At the same time, a new cylinder that meets legal safety standards costs 300-400 lei for the largest capacity, 26 liters.

What is a safe bottle – what to pay attention to

According to the State Inspection for the Control of Boilers and Tanks (ISCIR), cylinders meet safety standards if, after a visual inspection:

• the protective paint film is not damaged;

• the pedestal and non-removable shield are not deformed and/or broken;

• closing armature does not have humps and deformations and is easily processed;

• the threading of the neck of the protective cap is intact and allows its safe mounting (for cylinders equipped with a protective cap);

• each cylinder has a mark of conformity, the manufacturer’s logo, the date of manufacture, and the date of expiry of the periodic technical inspection.

Therefore, a rusty cylinder devoid of any inscriptions does not comply with safety regulations and must be immediately removed from use.

Do not load cylinders at gas stations!

Another dangerous but also illegal practice is loading gas cylinders at gas stations. Although we tend to think that they are the same, the composition of gases is actually different. In addition, refueling cylinders at a service station deforms the cylinder valve, which may fail over time.

The gas cylinder must be loaded only in locations certified for this type of activity by authorized ISCIR personnel. Loading is carried out using an approved hose and after this procedure the cylinder is pressure tested.

It is no less dangerous to fill up camping cans at gas stations, although these cans are disposable and cost 30-50 lei in stores.

In camping and hiking Facebook groups, users post ads collecting used cylinders and brag about finding ways to refill them with a hose and valve bought from Chinese product websites.

You would privately request lessons on how to do the same. They ignore or ridicule the messages of those who warn them that it is dangerous.

Photo source: Photo170152474©Beethoven1612|Dreamstime.com