The seal on the cylinders -- used
for soldering, brazing, cutting and welding -- can leak
after torches or other fuel-consuming equipment are disconnected from them,
posing a fire hazard.
The
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Health Canada
and Worthington Cylinders Wisconsin (Chilton,
Wis.) announced a voluntary
recall of Map Pro, Propylene and MAPP gas cylinders used for soldering,
brazing, cutting and welding. The seal on the cylinders can leak after torches
or other fuel-consuming equipment are disconnected from them, posing a fire
hazard. No injuries have been reported at this time.
The
cylinders - 29,026,000 units in the United States and 1,371,100 units in Canada
- were sold at various plumbing/HVAC distributors, Home Depot, Lowes and Ace
Hardware Stores nationwide and in Canada from October 2004 through January 2012
for about $7 to $13 for cylinders and $45 to $75 for torch kits.
They
contain 14.1 oz. Map-Pro, 14.1 oz. propylene or 16 oz. methyl acetylene propadiene
stabilized. The cylinders are approximately 3 in. in diameter and 11 in. tall,
and are either yellow or black in color. They were sold alone and in kits that include
a torch and a cylinder.
The
cylinders and torch kits have a variety of labels, including: ACE, ASCO,
BENCHMARK, BERNZOMATIC CRAFTSMAN, EMC, EXPRESS, Firepower, GENTEC, GOSS,
HOTERY, Jones Stephens Corp., LENOX, Mag-Torch, MAGNA Mastercraft and TURNER,
Master Mechanic, MAPP, NAPA BERNZOMATIC, PREST-O-LITE, RONA, ROTHENBERGER,
SUPER-EGO, SureFire, TurboTorch, UNIWELD, WORTHINGTON MAPP GAS, WORTHINGTON
MAP/Pro, WORTHINGTON PROPYLENE.
If
the cylinder has never been connected to a torch or other device, do not use the
cylinder. Return it to the store where it was purchased for exchange or full
refund.
For
partially-used cylinders currently connected to a torch or other device, do not
disconnect from the torch. Take outdoors, ignite the torch and burn off entire
contents of the cylinder. (Never leave a lit torch and cylinder unattended. Use
torch only in a well-ventilated area.) Disconnect the torch from the empty
cylinder and dispose of empty cylinder per cylinder label instructions or
return it to the store where it was purchased for exchange or a full refund.
For
partially-used cylinders currentlynotconnected to a
torch or other device, take cylinder outdoors. Leak-test top of the cylinder
with soapy water. If bubbles develop, attach the torch. Ignite the torch and
burn off entire contents of the cylinder. Remove the torch from empty cylinder
and dispose of empty cylinder per cylinder label instructions or return it to
the store where it was purchased for exchange or a full refund.
If
no bubbles develop, do not use cylinder. Return it to the store where it was
purchased for exchange or a full refund.
For
additional information, contact Worthington Cylinders Wisconsin toll-free at
866/511-8967 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email the
manufacturer atMapCylinderRecall@WorthingtonIndustries.comor go towww.mapcylinderrecall.com.
To
see pictures of the recalled products, go towww.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12117.htmlorwww.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/advisories-avis/index-eng.php.
Source:
Consumer Product Safety Commission
