The purpose of this safety advisory is to advise the public of the risks and dangers associated with an influx of non-compliant gas cylinders coming into Canada. These non-compliant cylinders have not been approved for use in Canada and can pose a significant danger as they have not been designed, constructed, inspected and tested in accordance with Canadian requirements.
On this page
- Reasons for precautions
- Selecting and using means of containment
- Compliance with the TDG Act and Regulations
- Contact us
Reasons for precautions
Transport Canada has become aware of an increase of non-compliant gas cylinders included in welding kits offered for sale by online retailers, which pose a significant safety concern. These kits are usually designed to contain acetylene (UN1001) and oxygen (UN1072), a flammable gas and an oxidizing gas included in Class 2, Gases, and that pose a higher fire and explosion risk in the event of a leak or rupture of the gas cylinders.
For this reason, Transport Canada is advising the public of this safety risk and reminds everyone that using non-compliant cylinders is not only prohibited but also extremely dangerous as it could result in serious injury, property damage or fatalities.
Selecting and using means of containment
The requirements for a standardized means of containment in Section 5.10 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDG Regulations) state that a person must not offer for transport, handle or transport dangerous goods included in Class 2, Gases, in a means of containment unless the means of containment is manufactured, selected and used in accordance with specific standards that ensure quality and safety.
All gas cylinders included in small welding kits must comply with one of the following safety standards:
- CSA B340:
- cylinders that are subject to CSA B340 must be manufactured to a specification with the prefix TC, DOT, CTC, CRC, BTC, or ICC
- CSA B342:
- cylinders that are subject to CSA B342 are UN cylinders that have been manufactured in accordance with CSA B341 and marked with the letters "CAN", depicting Canada as the country of approval or have been manufactured in accordance with 49 Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR) and marked with the letters "USA" as the country of approval
A standardized gas cylinder must always bear the compliance marks required by the standard. Each compliant cylinder shall be permanently stamped, engraved, or etched, and legibly marked as specified. It is prohibited to fill, handle, or transport a non-compliant cylinder containing dangerous goods.
More information on how to identify an approved cylinder can be found on the following web pages:
Compliance with the TDG Act and Regulations
Failure to comply with the TDG Act and TDG Regulations may lead to fines and/or imprisonment. For more information, you can visit the TDG website and the Department of Justice website.
Contact us
For regulatory questions or if you need help identifying the cylinders or want to notify Transport Canada of non-compliant cylinders, contact the TDG regional office in your region:
Atlantic
1-866-814-1477
TDG-TMDAtlantic@tc.gc.ca
Quebec
1-514-633-3400
TMD-TDG.Quebec@tc.gc.ca
Ontario
1-416-973-1868
TDG-TMDOntario@tc.gc.ca
Prairie & Northern
1-888-463-0521
PNRTDG-TMDRPN@tc.gc.ca
Pacific
1-604-666-2955
TDGPacific-TMDPacifique@tc.gc.ca
Non-compliant oxygen and acetylene cylinders
(PDF, 110.43 KB)