Recall of the Week: Worthington gas cylinders due to fire hazard

By Rita R. Robison

Worthington Cylinders Wisconsin is recalling more than 29 million Map Pro, Propylene, and MAPP Gas Cylinders in the United States and more than 1.3 million in Canada.

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.

The cylinders contain propylene gas and are used for soldering, brazing, cutting, and welding. They contain 14.1 oz Map-Pro, 14.1 oz Propylene, or 16 oz MAPP (Methyl Acetylene Propadiene Stabilized). The cylinders are about 3 inches in diameter and 11 inches 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, and Worthington Propylene.

Manufactured in the U.S., the gas cylinders 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 the torch kits.

If you have one of these gas cylinders, these remedies are suggested, Worthington and the U.S. Consumer Product Commission said in a statement:

Unused cylinders: If the cylinder has never been connected to a torch or other device, don’t use the cylinder. Return the cylinder to the store where it was purchased for exchange or full refund.

Partially used cylinder currently connected to torch or other device: Don’t disconnect the torch or other device. Take it outdoors and ignite the torch and burn off entire contents of the cylinder. Disconnect the torch from empty cylinder and dispose of empty cylinder per cylinder label instructions or return it to store where it was purchased for exchange or a full refund. Never leave a lit torch and cylinder unattended. Use torch only in a well-ventilated area.

Partially used cylinder NOT connected to a torch or other device now: Take the cylinder outdoors. Leak test the top of the cylinder with soapy water. If bubbles develop, attach the torch. Ignite the torch and burn off the entire contents of the cylinder. Remove the torch from the empty cylinder and dispose of it per cylinder label instructions or return it to the store where it was purchased for exchange or a full refund. If no bubbles develop, don’t use cylinder. Return it to the store where it was purchased for exchange or a full refund.

For additional information, contact Worthington Cylinders Wisconsin at 866-511-8967 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, e-mail the manufacturer at MapCylinderRecall@WorthingtonIndustries.com, or go to www.MAPCylinderRecall.com

For details on other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist