CGA C-6-2022 PDF

Full title and description

St CGA C-6-2022 — Standard for Visual Inspection of Steel Compressed Gas Cylinders. This publication establishes recommended procedures, acceptance/rejection criteria, and reporting practices for the visual inspection of steel compressed gas cylinders used in industrial, medical, and specialty gas services. The standard is intended for cylinder users, requalifiers, owners, fillers and operators who perform routine visual evaluation to determine continued serviceability or condemnation of steel cylinders.

Abstract

CGA C-6:2022 provides prescriptive guidance and criteria for preparing cylinders for inspection, performing exterior and (where applicable) interior inspections, characterizing and measuring damage (corrosion, gouges, dents, bulges, fire damage, etc.), and deciding whether a cylinder may be accepted, rejected for repair, or condemned. It includes recommended inspection steps, defect measurement techniques and a sample inspection report form. The standard explicitly identifies cylinder types and service conditions that are outside its scope and cross-references related CGA documents for those cases.

General information

• Status: Current.
• Publication date: September 23, 2022.
• Publisher: Compressed Gas Association (CGA).
• ICS / categories: 23.020.35 — Gas cylinders; Fluid storage devices / pressure vessels (relevant ICS grouping).
• Edition / version: 2022 edition (listed as the 13th edition in the publisher listing).
• Number of pages: 34 pages (publisher listing; some commercial aggregators show small variations in page counts).

Scope

Covers visual inspection procedures and acceptance/rejection criteria for steel compressed gas cylinders used in transportation and stationary service, including preparation for inspection, exterior inspection, interior inspection where required, identification and measurement of typical defects, and reporting. The standard does not cover every cylinder type or service condition (special-permit or specification cylinders such as DOT-3HT/3HTM are addressed in other CGA documents) and it refers users to the appropriate CGA documents where different procedures apply.

Key topics and requirements

• Pre-inspection preparation (cleaning, valve removal/closure, marking and paperwork).
• Exterior visual inspection criteria: corrosion limits, pitting, dents, bulges, gouges, fire damage, thread and neck condition, paint/label verification.
• Interior inspection guidance (when interior inspection is required or indicated), including indications of internal corrosion and seam defects.
• Measurement methods and allowable defect sizes; criteria for accept, repair, or condemn decisions.
• Special exclusions and cross-references — identifies cylinder specifications and services that require alternate procedures (e.g., DOT-3HT family, acetylene cylinders), with references to other CGA standards.
• Sample inspection report form (appendix) and recommended recordkeeping practices for requalifiers and owners.

Typical use and users

Used by cylinder requalification facilities, manufacturers, distributors, gas fill plants, industrial and medical gas users, safety and compliance officers, inspectors, and regulatory authorities seeking recommended visual inspection practices for steel cylinders. It is applied as part of routine pre-fill inspection, periodic requalification programs, and incoming/outgoing acceptance checks.

Related standards

Commonly used alongside other CGA documents and regulatory references, including (but not limited to) CGA C-6.1, C-6.2, C-6.3 (aluminum and composite cylinder inspection variants), CGA C-8 (requalification of DOT-3HT cylinders), CGA C-13 (acetylene cylinders), CGA C-1 (hydrostatic testing methods) and relevant DOT/transport and OSHA regulations. Users should consult the related CGA documents listed within the standard for cases that fall outside CGA C-6’s intended coverage.

Keywords

visual inspection, steel gas cylinder, compressed gas, cylinder requalification, acceptance criteria, condemnation, corrosion, dents, gouges, CGA C-6, cylinder safety, inspection report.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: CGA C-6:2022 is the Compressed Gas Association’s standard that sets recommended procedures and acceptance/rejection criteria for the visual inspection of steel compressed gas cylinders.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers preparation for inspection, exterior and (when required) interior visual inspections, defect identification and measurement, acceptance/repair/condemnation criteria, recordkeeping and a sample inspection report. It excludes certain cylinder types and service conditions that are handled by other CGA documents.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Cylinder requalifiers, manufacturers, fill plants, gas distributors, safety and compliance personnel, inspectors and authorities having jurisdiction, and end users responsible for cylinder handling, filling or inspection.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: CGA C-6:2022 is the current edition (published September 23, 2022) and it revises/supersedes the 2019 edition. Users should verify the edition required by any applicable regulation or contract.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — C-6 is part of a family of CGA documents addressing visual inspection and requalification of various cylinder materials and types (examples: C-6.1, C-6.2, C-6.3) and it cross-references companion standards (C-8, C-13, C-1, etc.) for special cylinder specifications and testing methods.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: visual inspection; steel cylinders; compressed gas; requalification; acceptance criteria; condemnation; corrosion; defects; inspection report.