3rd Report of the Market Access Ombudsman Council (March 18, 1996)

3-(2) International Harmonization of Approval for Hi h-Pressure Containers

1. Complainant: The Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry

2. Ministry concerned: Ministry of International Trade and Industry

3. Background Information:

Under the High-pressure Gas Control Law, one who manufactures or imports a high-pressure container must have it inspected. If the container conforms to the specifications for containers by type of high-pressure gas and by size of pressure, it is supposed to pass the inspection and the gas type is stamped on the container. If one wishes to change type of high-pressure gas kept in the container, he must submit an application again and have the information stamped on the container. A high-pressure container must not be filled with high-pressure gas of a type other than the stamped one.

As for danger-free liquid fluoro carbon, several types of the gas may be kept in the same container after obtaining a special filling permission under the High-pressure Gas Control Law.

4. Complaint:

In the United States, whatever type of Fluoro carbon may be kept in a high-pressure container affixed to a Fluoro carbon recovery device (naturally, the pressure-proof performance of the container is designed to meet the Fluoro carbon with the highest pressure). In Japan, however, several types of Fluoro carbon cannot be stored in the same container. As this poses an extremely cumbersome operational problem, the law should be revised as the law is in the United States.

In addition, the permitted gas types may be limited to safe types of liquid Fluoro carbon of no more than the pressure of 20 kg/cm².

5. Results of Deliberation:

It is commendable that the ministry concerned is studying the feasibility of adding gas types to those that the ministry concerned allows for storage in the same container or the feasibility of grouping gas types to enable the storage of several gas types without a special filling permission (no changes will be made to flammable gas or hyperbolic gas for fear safety problems) in the interest of simplifying the procedure for changing high-pressure gas types. The ministry concerned claims that it will study the safety factors from physical and chemical viewpoints, conclude in three or four years, and take the measures.

Government decision (March 26, 1996)

3-(2) International Harmonization of Approval for High-Pressure Containers

To simplify the procedure for changing high-pressure gas types, by the end of fiscal year 1996, gas types will be added to those that the ministry concerned allows for storage in the same container. In addition, grouping gas types to enable the storage of several gas types without a special filling permission will be implemented successively in three or four years after studying the safety factors.

Follow-up (May 12, 1997)

3-(2) International Harmonization of Approval for High-Pressure Containers

The gases covered under special filling permits for replacing multiple gases in the same container were reviewed. As of March 31, 1997, the "Handling of Containers When Filling With Liquid Fluorocarbon" (directive from the head of the Environmental Protection and Industrial Location Bureau dated August 1, 1966) was revised, new groups (composed of liquid fluorocarbons 502, 22, 115, 00, 134a, and 12) were added, and procedures were simplified to permit filling at higher pressure than currently allowed.

Additionally, measures will be taken by April 1998 to group gases to allow filling of multiple gases, including gases other than those mentioned above, without a special filling permit and without changing the name of the gas indicated on the container.