PHMSA is issuing this safety advisory to notify the public of the unauthorized marking of high pressure compressed gas cylinders by Beauchesne Fire Equipment located at 21 Freeman St. Attleboro Falls, MA. Agents from the U.S. DOT Inspector General’s Office in Cambridge, MA, with assistance from a PHMSA investigator from the Eastern Region Field Operations Office, recently conducted an investigation into allegations that Beauchesne Fire Equipment (BFE) represented high pressure DOT specification and special permit cylinders as requalified in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Part 171-180) without conducting the required hydrostatic testing. The investigation revealed that BFE marked approximately 5,900 high pressure compressed gas cylinders with test dates and Requalifier Identification Number (RIN) H557 in 2011 and 2012 without conducting the prescribed hydrostatic testing of these cylinders.
