LPG ancillary products must undergo product certification prior to distribution

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS), has issued the Department Administrative Order (DAO) 22-11, series of 2022 providing the new technical regulation prescribing the mandatory product certification of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pressure vessels and ancillary products.

The DAO took effect on 23 July 2022, fifteen (15) days after its publication in The Philippine Star and Daily Tribune last 08 July 2022.

“DAO 22-11 supports the implementation of Republic Act No. 11592 otherwise known as the “LPG Industry Regulation Act” and its Implementing Rules and Regulations as provided under the “DOE-DTI Joint Department Circular No. JDC2022-05-0001” through the standardization and certification of LPG products. With DAO 22- 11, we have expanded the scope of certification on LPG products and updated the applicable reference standards. Before, we are only regulating LPG steel cylinders, LPG repair, and auto-LPG containers. Now, we have included LPG ancillary products such as rubber hoses, cylinder valves, and gas regulators, among others, in our mandatory certification since these products are indispensable for the safe and proper operation of LPG cylinders especially in residential and commercial sectors. With this technical regulation, we aim to provide our consumers and businesses access to safe and quality LPG cylinders and accessories in the market,” said DTI Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo.

This technical regulation prescribes the mandatory certification of the following LPG pressure vessels and ancillary products, whether locally manufactured or imported, and LPG related systems and services:

-Transportable and refillable steel cylinders for LPG (new cylinders)

-Transportable and refillable welded steel cylinders for LPG (repaired cylinders) with water capacities up to 150L as specified in PNS 03-1 and which have passed the methods of requalification of PNS 03- 2.

-Transportable and refillable steel cylinders for LPG – Methods of requalification

-Road vehicles – LPG containers

-LPG regulator for domestic use

-Gas cylinders – Refillable seamless aluminum alloy gas cylinders

-Gas cylinders – Refillable composite gas cylinders and tubes

-Hoop wrapped fibre reinforced composite gas cylinders and tubes up to 450L,

-Fully wrapped fibre reinforced composite gas cylinders and tubes up to 450L with the loadsharing metal liners, and

-Fully wrapped fibre reinforced composite gas cylinders and tubes up to 450L with non-loadsharing metallic or non-metallic liners

-Gas cylinders – Refillable composite reinforced tubes of water capacity between 450L and 3000L

-Gas cylinders – Refillable welded stainless-steel cylinders

-Test pressure 6 MPa and below

-Test Pressure greater than 6 MPa

-Non-refillable gas cartridges for LPG, with or without a value, for use with portable appliances

Rubber hoses and hose assemblies for LPG in the liquid or gaseous phase and natural gas up to 25 bar (2.5 MPa)

-Gas cylinders – Refillable seamless steel gas cylinders – Design, construction and testing

-Quenched and tempered steel cylinders with tensile less than 1100 MPa

-Quenched and tempered steel cylinders with tensile strength greater than or equal to 1100MPa

-Normalized steel cylinders

-Stainless steel cylinders with an Rm value of less than 1100 Mpa

-Gas cylinders LPG cylinder valves (self-closing)

-Gas cylinders – LPG cylinder valves – (Manually operated)

-Gas cylinders – Refillable seamless steel tubes for compressed gas transpor.

-Road vehicles – Code of Practice for the use of LPG system in internal combustion engine

Meanwhile, DAO 22-11 does not cover the refilling of LPG pressure vessels and the composition of the refilled LPG as they are under the purview of the Department of Energy (DOE).

The Philippine Standard (PS) Quality Certification Mark Licensing Scheme shall be available to both local and foreign manufacturers selling or distributing LPG cylinders and ancillary products in the Philippine market.

For imported LPG and ancillary products, the importer shall apply for either Statement of Confirmation (SOC) for PS-certified products or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) for non-PS certified products on a per shipment per Bill of Lading/Airway Bill basis.

For safety, traceability, and accountability purposes and to eliminate risk of importation of used cylinders and tubes, the imported refillable LPG cylinders shall be sourced only from manufacturing plants holding valid PS Licenses.

For LPG cylinder repair and requalification as well as automotive LPG retrofitting systems, the PS Quality Certification Mark shall be the only applicable scheme. Local LPG cylinder repairers and requalifiers shall apply for PS License.

Meanwhile, only local automotive LPG retrofitters shall be allowed to apply for the PS License.

For product testing, the relevant Philippine National Standards (PNS) shall be used to verify product conformance.

The list of PNS and the applicable testing requirements for each LPG cylinders and ancillary products may be found in DAO 22-11’s Annex C – Table 4: Relevant PNS and Testing Requirements.

For traceability and verification purposes, all covered LPG cylinders and ancillary products shall have the following general marking requirements which shall be clearly and legibly marked on the product:

-Manufacturer’s brand name, trade name or mark

-PS Quality Mark with License number or ICC Stickers (whichever is applicable)

-Lot No./Batch No/Serial No.

-The words “Made in the Philippines” or “Country of Origin” if imported.

The additional required markings specific for each LPG cylinder and ancillary product are prescribed in Annex A – Table 1: Marking Requirements of DAO 22-11.

To provide local manufacturers and importers ample time to comply with the newly issued technical regulation, monitoring and enforcement based on the requirements of the DAO shall be conducted by the DTI on 23 July 2024, twenty-four (24) months after the DAO’s effectivity.

Consistent with good regulatory practice, the BPS conducted a public consultation with stakeholders last 17 September 2021 on the draft DAO.

Stakeholders were given 60 days to submit their written feedback, comments, and recommendations. In addition, the draft DAO was notified to the WTO members through the WTO-TBT system last 28 September 2021 to give them the opportunity to submit their comments.

The full copy of DAO 22-11 and other issuances may be downloaded from the BPS Standards and Conformance portal, www.bps.dti.gov.ph. Direct link to BPS’ issuances can be accessed through https://bit.ly/BPSissuances.

The DTI-BPS is the National Standards Body authorized to promulgate Philippine National Standards (PNS). Conformance to PNS requirements is voluntary unless a regulatory authority uses the PNS as reference in the technical regulation for a specific product or service where conformance to PNS or parts thereof becomes mandatory.

For more updates and information on standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures (STRACAP), please visit the BPS website (www.bps.dti.gov.ph). Emails and messages may also be sent to bps@dti.gov.ph or through the official BPS Facebook page (facebook.com/PHstandards).