DTI recalls substandard LPG tanks

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is recalling about 44,000 substandard LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) tanks manufactured by Pilipinas Daechang Steel Inc. between the period December 2000 and April 2001, Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II said yesterday.

Roxas said the recall order covers only the 11 kilogram tanks.

He assured that the tanks being recalled comprise less than one percent of the 12 million cylinders circulating in the country.

Roxas explained that the recall order is precautionary and is allowed under RA 4109 or the Product Standards Law and under RA 7349 or the Consumer Act of 1992.

The DTI disclosed that a random sampling of the Daechang cylinders by the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) showed that the tanks were substandard.

Several tests such as the mechanical and hydraulic burst test to gauge the quality of the tank material resulted in failures, Roxas said.

Likewise, Roxas said, radiographic tests for the welding showed that the LPG cylinders were prone to leakage.

Elongation tests for malleability of the steel materials, Roxas said, also showed that the tanks were brittle.

The BPS Roxas said, visited the plant of Daenchang and discovered that several manufacturing steps were not being followed.

The BPS Roxas went on, found out that the welders of Daechang are not qualified and have not been properly accredited.

Because the LPG tanks being produced by Daechang are substandard, Roxas warned that defective cylinders could explode.

With the recall order, Roxas said consumers could return the cyclinders from their dealers as they are mandated to accept and replace the defective LPG tanks at no additional cost.

The DTI, Roxas said, also has swap centers and telephone hotlines which the consumers can call.

Most of the substandard tanks, Roxas said, were distributed in Luzon.

Helping the DTI in the recall of the substandard cylinders is the Philippine Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association, the Philippine Association of LPG Cylinder Manufacturers Inc. and the LPG Industry Association, Inc. Pilipinas Daechang Steel Inc. is a joint venture Filipino-Korean firm.