Narrative:

O2 bottles are being serviced in the bottle cart and not in the safety sleeve. This is an ongoing unsafe practice. The person who services them is hooking up the bottle in the cart; turning on the O2 and walking away. I have gone to the union and the company over this and nothing happens. It just gets overlooked. The FAA has walked in while this goes on and has done nothing. Do we need to have a bottle go off and hurt someone before use of the safety tube is mandatory.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that instructions exists describing the construction of safety constraints to be used during oxygen bottle refilling; adding however; once the constraints are described they are not then required to be used. The reporter indicated there is general consensus that refilling oxygen bottles is dangerous; but current procedures do not require that the safety constraints described be used. The reporter indicated their intent is to highlight the problem and initiate the requirement for additional safety procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAINT TECH RPTS B737 OXYGEN BOTTLES BEING SERVICED IN THE BOTTLE CART AND NOT IN A SAFETY SLEEVE.

Narrative: O2 BOTTLES ARE BEING SERVICED IN THE BOTTLE CART AND NOT IN THE SAFETY SLEEVE. THIS IS AN ONGOING UNSAFE PRACTICE. THE PERSON WHO SERVICES THEM IS HOOKING UP THE BOTTLE IN THE CART; TURNING ON THE O2 AND WALKING AWAY. I HAVE GONE TO THE UNION AND THE COMPANY OVER THIS AND NOTHING HAPPENS. IT JUST GETS OVERLOOKED. THE FAA HAS WALKED IN WHILE THIS GOES ON AND HAS DONE NOTHING. DO WE NEED TO HAVE A BOTTLE GO OFF AND HURT SOMEONE BEFORE USE OF THE SAFETY TUBE IS MANDATORY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT INSTRUCTIONS EXISTS DESCRIBING THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFETY CONSTRAINTS TO BE USED DURING OXYGEN BOTTLE REFILLING; ADDING HOWEVER; ONCE THE CONSTRAINTS ARE DESCRIBED THEY ARE NOT THEN REQUIRED TO BE USED. THE RPTR INDICATED THERE IS GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT REFILLING OXYGEN BOTTLES IS DANGEROUS; BUT CURRENT PROCS DO NOT REQUIRE THAT THE SAFETY CONSTRAINTS DESCRIBED BE USED. THE RPTR INDICATED THEIR INTENT IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE PROB AND INITIATE THE REQUIREMENT FOR ADDITIONAL SAFETY PROCS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.