Air Filling Stations

Air fill stations, for either stationary or mobile SCBA and SCUBA air refills, provide the cylinder refill operator with a greater measure of safety over simply laying a cylinder on the ground during the refilling process.  The degree of safety varies between types of fill stations.

Containment fill stations are sometimes referred to as a Class 2 models. Class 2, Class 3 and Class 4 are informal classifications. Containment and Class 2 descriptions are synonomous. Class 3 refers to a deflecting style of tall fill station that provides a steel blast shield between the operator and the cylinders being refilled. It does not contain the air blast of a ruptured cylinder, nor the cylinder fragments. A Class 4 fill station is a considered small fragmentation deflecting unit that does not contain the air blast of a ruptured cylinder, nor the cylinder fragments. Class 4 units offer the operator little in the way of protection and the least amount of protection of the three types of fill stations. They are, however, better than laying the cylinder down during the refilling process.