PHMSA issues odorant-related safety alert

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a safety alert to notify the public of risks associated with the under-odorization of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

PHMSA recommends doing a quality control check when manually injecting an odorant to LPG. In addition, when LPG is automatically injected, PHMSA recommends doing a periodic equipment-calibration check to ensure consistent injection levels of a required odorant.

PHMSA also issued recommendations to avoid odor fade. Specifically, PHMSA recommends notifying people who receive new or recently cleaned tanks that the tanks are, in fact, new or recently cleaned. PHMSA then recommends tank recipients implement quality control measures to address potential odor fade.

In addition, PHMSA recommends that all LPG transported in railcar tanks or cylinders be odorized in accordance with the federal requirements of 173.315(b)(1) under the Hazardous Materials Regulations – unless the odorization would be harmful in the use or further processing of the LPG.