Are test certificates issued for cylinders now?

[MarkA]

When I picked up my cylinders after being hydro tested. The cylinders were stamped and the blue label fitted. All 5 cylinders were shown on the same receipt as being tested. Is this normal now?

It was a long time ago they last went for a test, but then I got individual test certificates. Have never needed these certificates. Also forgot to ask at the shop about them.

[jb2cool]

Apparently it’s the blue label on the cylinder that’s the important bit now, the stamps are apparently secondary. The paper bit is effectively worthless, the only use-case I can see for this would be if the blue label came off, you could use the paper certificate to convince a test centre to give you a new one.

[MarkA]

Thanks for the reply. I had better look after the blue label. Will file the receipt away just in case.

I appreciate it was a long time ago, but when I did the compressor course it was the stamp that was important.

[Paulo]

Apparently it’s the blue label on the cylinder that’s the important bit now, the stamps are apparently secondary. The paper bit is effectively worthless, the only use-case I can see for this would be if the blue label came off, you could use the paper certificate to convince a test centre to give you a new one.

I understood the stamp to be important and the sticker was just a quick reference for the stamp but now I think about it I remember something about UK testers now only stamping for hydros

[Allan Carr]

The blue label (the latest ones appear to be green) only is a bit of a nightmare. One of our club members was refused a fill at Gildensludge because the label was damaged. Unfortunately the IDEST test stations have no standard as to where they stick the labels and a couple of our club cylinders have them in a very exposed position almost on the shoulder of the cylinder opposite the pillar valve outlet. Woz, when he was BSAC chair tried to get IDEST to issue a standard that they should put the label in front of the pillar valve outlet where it would be protected by the DV first stage when in use but this never got accepted.

[MarkA]

The blue labels were stuck under the new stamps on my cylinders. There are numerous previous stamps so probably would not fit in front of the cylinder valve unless not stuck below the stamp.

Was reading on the IDEST web site about the labels. It appears to says that the green ones are for a visual inspection and that they don’t stamp for a visual now. If this is the case I do have some sympathy for the compressor operator if the visual label is unreadable. Would I be annoyed about not getting my cylinder filled, of course.

[Paulo]

The blue labels were stuck under the new stamps on my cylinders. There are numerous previous stamps so probably would not fit in front of the cylinder valve unless not stuck below the stamp.

Was reading on the IDEST web site about the labels. It appears to says that the green ones are for a visual inspection and that they don’t stamp for a visual now. If this is the case I do have some sympathy for the compressor operator if the visual label is unreadable. Would I be annoyed about not getting my cylinder filled, of course.

Almost 2022 and yet it may as well be 1922. How or why are there not freely accessable, open to all, databases of cylinder serial numbers and test histories?

If they can capture every car and every gun in the land, surely a database that you can stick in the serial number into and up pops the test history cannot be beyond the means of man?!

You pay £50 to a cartel that do tests that in the main are not provided for under legistation, just so you can buy air, they put a poxy sticker on it and 3 months later that falls off and you are back to square 1. Don't get me started on the "we only fill cylinders we have inspected" mob. Small wonder home blending is so popular and dive shops are on their knees