Hpa certification and safety concerning Chinese equipment?

[Taso1000]

Hi All,

Recently there has been talk of people buying hpa compressors and components directly from foreign countries like China.  There was a recent thread on filling scba cylinders that did not have dot approval.  So it got me thinking.  Are these Chinese parts submitted for any safety testing or certification to ensure they are safe for us to use?

I recently came across this document which shows that there is a globally UN/ISO certification. 

http://allsafe.net/files/ISO_versus_DOT_Cylinder_Summary.pdf

So basically I am looking for information for what we as consumers should look for to ensure our safety.  I'd like to learn and would like to share that information with others for future reference. 

Do you have any information on certifications and/or have purchased any hpa components outside of the USA?  Are your components marked with UN/ISO certification information?

I thank you all in advance!

Taso

[fxtrapper]

This is a very good question that I have been wondering about. I would love to see some kind of certification by a reputable safety organization.

[Taso1000]

Fxtrapper,

I know the Chinese manufacturers can make the highest quality stuff if they get paid to do so.  They can get legitimate certifications too.  But there are a lot of fake copies for sale that can even fake the certification stamps and documentation.  I wouldn't put it past them to do such a thing.

Heaven forbid someone gets hurt.  That is my main concern.

Thanks,

Taso

[Geoff]

Taso, that is my concern ... I could fill it myself, however would always wonder if it would rupture and injure/kill me.   IF that happened to one certified in the US, my wife maaaaaaaaay have a lawsuit she can pull off.  With some company in China selling on Ebay, very very little to no chance of getting a dime.

[rcontrera]

I am afraid that you aren't going to get any type of certification on compressors.  You can get certifications on the manufacturer, the supply chain and the manufacturing process.  But, the compressor itself is just too difficult to get.  The problem is that for a testing/certification organization to certify a compressor, it has to be a particular configuration.  So, let's say that I send one of my Coltri MCH6 gas compressors in for UL certification, I have to send along a pretty sizeable check (anywhere from $3000 to $20,000) with it.  Now, after a month or two, I get a shiny certificate for that compressor configuration and I put it on the website.  Now, somebody orders that compressor but wants an automatic drain and automatic shutoff with it, that certificate goes away.  With all the compressor we have and all the add-ons we have available, we figured that it would cost us about forty years of sales to get them all certified ... just with UL!

[Hoosier Daddy]

Taso this very same question has been rolling around in my head since I clicked "Buy" on Amazon for a 2000 psi output regulator and then saw the shipping would take over two weeks. Digging into the listed third party seller I found very little info... until I saw they were from China.
 Suddenly my concerns changed from "WHEN" I would get it to "IF" I should use it once it arrives.
I do not want to turn this into a political debate but I personally feel the Chinese would have absolutely no concerns for an Americans safety.
After all, like said earlier, IF it were to fail and cause me injury or death, what legal course could be taken?
 Even if it were to have some sort of certification, I don't know if I would trust it. What may be perceived to us as an unethical exchange of money (bribe) is perfectly acceptable to get an official piece of paper in some countries. 
 I have now reached out to Joe Brancato for one of his. If I had found it before, and knew the other was from China, there would have been no choice in my mind but to spend the extra $25 and get one from Joe.

[kzz1kaw]

Everything now a days is made in China. My omega compressor is made in China and I'm willing to bet the compressors from a well known seller compressor is made in china😎  I took the leap and bought the yong heng compressor from china and with an exception of some small issues, the compressor is working like a champ. I personally would not worry to much about the things coming out of China. So far good