
          FIREFIGHTER KILLED IN SCBA CYLINDER EXPLOSION

     On Sunday,  March 13,  1993,  Firefighter Dennis Rodd of the 
Coram, New York, Fire Department suffered a fatal injury when the 
high  pressure  (4500  psi) self  contained  breathing  apparatus 
cylinder  exploded.   Rodd,  a  47  year  old with  13  years  of 
department service, had filled the cylinder and sat it aside when 
the explosion occurred.

     As a result,  the Suffolk County,  New York,  Department  of 
Fire Rescue and Emergency Services issued the following notice:

SUBJECT:    Failure of a high-pressure (4500 psi) self  contained 
            breathing apparatus cylinder.

CAUSE:      Unknown at this time.   Presently under investigation 
            by the Suffolk County Police and the U.S.  Department 
            of Transportation.

INCIDENT:   On Saturday,  March 13, 1993, Firefighter Dennis Rodd 
            of the Coram Fire Department suffered a fatal injury.  
            The injury appears to be the result of a catastrophic 
            failure of a high-pressure SCBA air cylinder during a 
            refilling operation.

CYLINDER:   DOT  E-7235,  flat bottom,  hoop  wrapped,  composite 
            fiberglass  and aluminum cylinder with a normal  fill 
            pressure of 4500 psi.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:  All departments using this type of cylinder 
should  inventory  same to ensure compliance with  the  following 
regulations and recommendations:

1.   U.S.  DOT  has advised that composite cylinders of this type 
     are   manufactured   under  an  exemption   which   required 
     hydrostatic testing every three years and limits the service 
     life to 15 years.

2.   U.S.  Department  of Health and Human  Services  Respiratory 
     User Notice dated May 7,  1985,  which states, "The cylinder 
     without   a  neck  ring  cannot  be  used  as  part  of   an 
     MESHA/NIOSH-approved   self  contained  breathing  apparatus 
     after September 1, 1986.  Do not pressurize a 4500 psi/DOT-E 
     7235  cylinder above 4000 psi until after the neck  ring  is 
     installed."

If  a  composite air cylinder of this type is found not to be  in 
compliance,  it should removed from service, depleted of air, and 
the  valve closed.   Once the cylinder is made safe,  you  should 
contact  either  the  local vendor servicing the  self  contained 
breathing  apparatus  you  use or the manufacturer  of  the  unit 
itself.

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