# SWP - Breathing Air Fill Station and Cylinder Handling
> Fire Service Safety Management System, version 0.3.3 (2026-10-25). The Human Factor. Document FSSMS-SWP-04.
>
> Canonical: https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-breathing-air-fill-station-and-cylinder-handling
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> Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 with the Adopting Agency Grant (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
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> General information only, not legal, medical or other professional advice. Verify every requirement against the current official text of the law, standards and manufacturer instructions that apply to you. Obtain your own legal review and consult your joint health and safety committee before adopting anything. You adopt, adapt, implement and rely on this material entirely at your own risk and on your own responsibility. Full terms: Terms of Use, thehumanfactor.ca.
> **Warning: Adoption without implementation increases legal exposure**
>
> Adopting this procedure without the training, equipment, supervision, verification and resources to carry it out as written increases municipal and command liability in a regulatory investigation or a fatality inquiry. See [00a Copyright, Licence and Legal Notices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/copyright-licence-and-legal-notices).
> **Speak up: Speak up**
>
> Anyone can stop a fill. Say the hazard, then the action: “Stop, that cylinder’s hydro date is past, set it aside.” “Hold the fill, the CO monitor is flashing.” “Stop, the enclosure door is open.” The operator or officer says “Heard”, stops, and brings it to the team for learning. The one debrief question for this task: what did we do today to get air into cylinders faster than the procedure allows, and why did it seem necessary?
## 1. Task and when this applies
Operating the breathing air compressor, cascade and fill station (fixed or mobile); filling SCBA and cascade cylinders; drawing air quality samples; receiving purchased air; inspecting cylinders before fill and after use; tracking hydrostatic requalification and service life; and handling a cylinder that is damaged, contaminated or condemned. It applies to every fill, by every trained operator, at every station and mobile unit the department operates.
## 2. Hazards
- Catastrophic cylinder failure during fill (a cylinder past its service life, damaged, or over-pressurized) with fragments and blast.
- Contaminated breathing air: carbon monoxide from the compressor or a nearby exhaust drawn into the intake; oil, water, particulate from failed filtration; the wrong gas connected to the cascade.
- Heat from rapid fill reducing the final pressure and stressing the cylinder.
- Noise, pinch points and high-pressure hose whip.
- A contaminated cylinder (hazmat, chemical, heat) filled and returned to service.
- Manual handling of cylinders and cascade bottles.
## 3. Controls in hierarchy order
| Level | Control |
|:---|:---|
| Elimination | No cylinder past its hydrostatic test date, past its service life, or with visible damage is ever connected to the fill station |
| Substitution | Purchased certified air with a certificate of analysis where a compressor cannot be sited or maintained properly |
| Engineering | Compressor intake sited and protected from exhaust and contaminants; filtration and purification sized to the compressor; continuous CO monitor with alarm and automatic shutdown on oil-lubricated compressors; high-temperature shutdown; moisture separators and automatic drains; pressure relief (CSA Z180.1:19); a fill enclosure rated to contain a cylinder failure and cascade fittings that cannot mate with non-breathing gases (MLITSD, n.d., GN 1-9); hose restraints |
| Administrative | This procedure; the fill log; the cylinder register; quarterly accredited laboratory testing; manufacturer maintenance schedule; trained operators only; the quarantine rule for any alarm or out-of-limit result |
| PPE | Hearing protection; safety glasses; gloves; safety footwear |
## 4. Required PPE and equipment
Hearing protection, safety glasses, gloves, safety footwear; the fill enclosure; the fill log; the cylinder register (or terminal); cylinder visual inspection light; thread and valve inspection tools; condemned-cylinder tags and the quarantine area; sample cylinders or the laboratory’s sampling kit; the CO monitor calibration gas and record; the compressor hour meter and maintenance log.
## 5. Minimum staffing and competencies
One trained fill station operator per fill. Operator competency: the fill station module (compressor operation, cascade operation, cylinder inspection, fill procedure, sampling, CO monitor, enclosure use, emergency shutdown), signed off on the competency table and refreshed every three years. The program administrator or SCBA technician performs or supervises the laboratory sampling and the CO monitor calibration. Compressor service beyond operator-level maintenance is by the service contractor or a technician trained by the manufacturer.
## 6. Step-by-step procedure
### A. Start of operation
1. Check the compressor room or mobile unit: no apparatus idling, generator running or chemical use within the intake’s protected zone; intake screen clean; room ventilated.
2. Check the CO monitor: powered, reading at or near zero, calibration within interval (at least quarterly or per manufacturer). **If the monitor is off, in alarm, or past calibration, do not run the compressor.**
3. Check the compressor: oil level, hour meter, filter change due date against the log, moisture drains functioning, no leaks, relief valves intact, last laboratory test result within limits and within the quarterly interval.
4. Check the cascade: every storage cylinder in the register and within its own requalification interval; bank pressures recorded; fittings and labels intact.
5. Check the enclosure: door closes and latches; interlock (where fitted) works; no damage. Record the start-of-operation checks on the fill log.
### B. Cylinder inspection before every fill
6. Read the cylinder: specification or permit number; manufacture date; last hydrostatic test date and next due; service-life end date for composite cylinders. **Any cylinder past its test date or service life is tagged “Do not fill” and goes to quarantine.**
7. Look and feel: gouges, cuts, abrasion through the wrap, bulges, heat discolouration or charring, chemical staining, delamination, damaged or bent valve, damaged threads, dirt in the valve outlet. Any of these: tag, quarantine, adverse-condition report.
8. Confirm the cylinder is in the register; if not, add it before filling.
9. A cylinder known or suspected to have been exposed to hazmat, unknown chemicals or fire heat is not filled; it is quarantined for specialized cleaning and technician inspection (section E).
### C. Filling
10. Place the cylinder in the enclosure, connect the fill hose, close the enclosure. **Stand outside the line of the enclosure opening during the fill.**
11. Open the cylinder valve and the fill valve. Fill at the rate the manufacturer specifies; slow fill reduces heat and gives a truer final pressure. Use the cascade in sequence from the lowest bank that will fill the cylinder, then higher banks, then the compressor.
12. Watch the CO monitor and the pressure throughout. **On any alarm, stop the fill, close the valves, shut the compressor down, and quarantine every cylinder filled since the last good test.**
13. Fill to the rated pressure; allow the cylinder to cool; top off to rated pressure.
14. Close the valves, bleed the fill hose, open the enclosure, disconnect, cap the valve outlet.
15. Record on the fill log: date, time, cylinder serial, operator, final pressure, air source (compressor or purchased lot and certificate number), cascade bank pressures.
16. Return the cylinder to service, to the spare rack, or to the apparatus it came from. Spare racks are marked full and empty; no partial cylinders in the full rack.
### D. Air quality sampling and purchased air
17. Quarterly (six months is the Z180.1 minimum (CSA Z180.1:19); quarterly also meets NFPA 1989 (NFPA 1989, 2019) and the breathing air requirement of NFPA 1550 (NFPA 1550, 2024, s. 9.12)), and at commissioning, after any major overhaul, extensive repair, filter change or alarm event, draw a sample from each compressor outlet, mobile unit and cascade bank per the accredited laboratory’s instructions; label and ship the same day; record on [Form - Breathing Air Quality Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-breathing-air-quality-test-record).
18. When the certificate returns, compare every parameter with the CSA Z180.1 (CSA Z180.1:19) limits (oxygen 20 to 22 percent; carbon monoxide 5 ppm or less; carbon dioxide 500 ppm or less; oil 1 mg/m3 or less; particulates; non-methane and halogenated hydrocarbons; methane; water vapour and dew point; odour). File it. Report the result in the quarterly update.
19. **Any parameter out of limit:** stop filling from that source; quarantine every cylinder filled since the last good certificate; tell the program administrator, the HSO and the JOHSC the same day; find and fix the cause; re-test; return to service only on a passing certificate; log a corrective action.
20. Purchased air: every delivery comes with a supplier certificate of analysis to Z180.1; check it before connecting; file it; sample the delivered bank on the department’s schedule; connect only through the breathing-air-only fittings.
### E. Cylinder register, requalification, condemned and contaminated cylinders
21. The register (serial; manufacturer; specification or permit; manufacture date; rated pressure and duration; last and next hydrostatic test; service-life end; last visual inspection; assignment; status; events), the record NFPA 1850 expects for cylinders [(NFPA 1850, 2026, ch. 17)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-breathing-air-fill-station-and-cylinder-handling#ref-nfpa-1850), is kept current by the program administrator; the operator updates the fill and visual columns at every fill.
22. Hydrostatic requalification ([Transport Canada, 2025a](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-breathing-air-fill-station-and-cylinder-handling#ref-csa-b339-2); [NFPA 1550, 2024, s. 9.16](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-breathing-air-fill-station-and-cylinder-handling#ref-nfpa-1550)): send cylinders to a Transport Canada registered requalification facility before the due date, on the interval for their specification: five years for aluminum, steel and current composite cylinders (CSA B339-25; CSA B340-25). Receive back with the new test stamp and certificate; update the register.
23. Service life: composite cylinders are condemned at the end of the marked life (15 years from manufacture for most fire service composite cylinders, a limit that comes from the transport permits under which they are made (PHMSA, n.d.)). Three months before, the administrator schedules replacement.
24. Cylinders unused for 12 months: depressurize, inspect and refill before use.
25. **Condemned cylinders:** tag; empty slowly in a ventilated area; render unusable per the requalifier’s or manufacturer’s method (drill or cut the cylinder, remove the valve); record in the register; dispose of as scrap, never as a usable cylinder.
26. **Contaminated cylinders** (hazmat, chemical, smoke penetration, heat): bag or isolate; tag with the suspected contaminant; do not fill; send for specialized cleaning and technician inspection; if the contaminant cannot be identified or removed, condemn.
27. Handling, in line with the cylinder selection and use standard (CSA B340-25): cap valves when not in use; carry cylinders with two hands or on a cart; never roll a cylinder by its valve; secure cylinders in racks and on apparatus; no alkaline cleaners, solvents or paint on cylinders; store away from heat, sunlight and chemical storage.
> **Warning: Stop-work triggers**
>
> Stop filling: CO monitor alarm or not working; compressor high-temperature alarm; any cylinder with a past test date, past service life or visible damage; enclosure door open or damaged; an unfamiliar cylinder not in the register; any odour, oil or moisture at the fill connection; a laboratory result out of limit; a cascade fitting that does not match. Nobody fills a cylinder to meet a call-back deadline that the procedure would otherwise stop.
## 7. Emergency and contingency
| Event | Action |
|:---|:---|
| Cylinder failure in the enclosure | Shut down; leave the room; first aid; tell the duty chief and the HSO; secure the scene; Tier 2 post-incident analysis; adverse-condition report with chain of custody |
| CO or contaminant alarm | Stop; shut down; quarantine filled cylinders; find the source (idling apparatus, generator, filter breakthrough); re-test before restart |
| Hose failure or whip | Shut down; first aid; replace the hose; report |
| Compressor fire | Shut down if safe; extinguish; evacuate; report |
| A contaminated cylinder discovered on an apparatus | Remove; quarantine; swap; near-miss report; trace back through the fill log for the gap |
## 8. Documentation and reporting
Fill log (every fill and the start-of-operation checks); cylinder register; laboratory certificates on [Form - Breathing Air Quality Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-breathing-air-quality-test-record); supplier certificates of analysis; compressor hours and maintenance log; filter change log; CO monitor calibration log; enclosure inspection; requalification certificates; condemnation records; adverse-condition and near-miss reports; corrective actions for any out-of-limit result. Retention per [05 Document Control and Records](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/document-control-and-records); the register is kept for the life of each cylinder and the period that schedule sets.
## 9. Training and review
Operators: fill station module and sign-off, three-year refresher. Administrator or technician: sampling and calibration competency. The Respiratory Protection team reviews this procedure annually, after any alarm or out-of-limit result, and when the compressor, cascade or cylinder fleet changes, beginning with a learning-team session with the operators on how fills really happen on a busy night.
> **Tip: Volunteer and composite departments**
>
> A volunteer station without a compressor exchanges cylinders with a central station or a mobile unit. The cylinder inspection (section B) still happens at the receiving station before the cylinder goes on an apparatus, and the fill log travels with the exchange so every cylinder’s last fill is traceable.
## 10. Related
[Respiratory Protection Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/respiratory-protection-program) (section 5.13, 5.14 and toolkit T6, T7); [Policy - Respiratory Protection](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/policy-respiratory-protection); [Form - Breathing Air Quality Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-breathing-air-quality-test-record); [Form - SCBA Inspection and Maintenance Log](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-scba-inspection-and-maintenance-log); [SWP - SCBA Daily and After-Use Inspection and Cleaning](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-scba-daily-and-after-use-inspection-and-cleaning); [Facilities and Station Safety Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/facilities-and-station-safety-program) (compressor room, diesel exhaust).
## Jurisdiction requirements
This chapter relies on the following legal requirements, which differ by province and territory. Check your jurisdiction’s section on each topic page before adopting it.
| Topic | What to check in your jurisdiction | Page |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air | The breathing air quality standard and edition the regulation names, and the air test interval it sets | [J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j14-respiratory-protection-fit-testing-and-breathing-air) |
## References
CSA Group. (2019). *CSA Z180.1:19, Compressed breathing air and systems* (6th ed.).
CSA Group. (2025). *CSA B339-25, Cylinders, spheres, and tubes for the transportation of dangerous goods* (in force 2025-08-01 under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, s. 5.10).
CSA Group. (2025). *CSA B340-25, Selection and use of cylinders, spheres, tubes, and other containers for the transportation of dangerous goods, Class 2*.
National Fire Protection Association. (2019). *NFPA 1989, Standard on breathing air quality for emergency services respiratory protection* (last standalone edition; scheduled to consolidate into NFPA 1985).
National Fire Protection Association. (2024). *NFPA 1550, Standard for emergency responder health and safety* (consolidates NFPA 1500, 1521 and 1561).
National Fire Protection Association. (2026). *NFPA 1850, Standard on selection, care, and maintenance of protective ensembles for structural and proximity firefighting and open-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)* (consolidates NFPA 1851 and 1852).
Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development \[MLITSD\]. (n.d.). *Firefighter guidance notes* (Section 21 Advisory Committee; individual notes revised to 2026).
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration \[PHMSA\]. (n.d.). *Navy self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) composite cylinder life extension research project*.
Transport Canada. (2025a). *CSA B339* \[Web page; B339-25 in force 2025-08-01 under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, s. 5.10\].