IDEST warns anyone purchasing a cylinder and/or valve from a ‘marketplace’ supplier or other unregulated source to take extreme caution.
Over the past weeks we have received multiple reports of cylinders and valves being brought into IDEST centres for filling or service where the valve has no markings, poorly formed threads, inaccurate pressure gauges etc., and/or the cylinder has forged or improper Notified Body markings, unusual test periods etc.
For example, one centre reported on 25-March-2026 they “had a gentleman in our shop earlier today with a 3l 300bar composite airgun filling cylinder. He had purchased it from Amazon. He brought it in because he suspected the HP gauge wasn’t correct. We checked and it was 45bar out. We asked if the valve came with the cylinder, to which he replied ‘yes, but it was loose in a separate box’. He then said he ‘had to put the valve in the cylinder before he could fill it on his own compressor in his garage’. We asked how he put that valve in, to which he replied, ‘by hand’. We then offered to drop the air out and check the threads before putting it back in with the correct torque setting. The neck threads where a pass, but the G5/8 BSP outlet was a failure (see photo), Also the valve has no markings”.
Upon further examination the cylinder showed a Notified Body marking ‘CE 1282’ which belongs to Ente Certificazione Macchine srl (ECM), Italy (see photo).
ECM are raising awareness of forged certification/test reports/other documents, and improper use of their name and/or Notified Body number. It is highly likely that this customer’s cylinder is not tested or approved by ECM:
ECM is aware that there are products on the market that improperly display Ente Certificazione Macchine srl and/or the CE number 1282. The documents issued by ECM for these products are NOT a CE product certificate and cannot in any way replace the manufacturer’s or importer’s CE certification, who are solely responsible for CE certification. Companies using Ente Certificazione Macchine srl and/or the ECM Notified Body number 1282 in this way are making improper use of it, an action that is punishable by law, and we will promptly report it to the competent authorities.
On our site is the list of products that forge or improperly display Ente Certificazione Macchine srl and/or the ECM Notified Body number 1282, of which we have become aware. [Forged Documents and Improper Use of the name Ente Certificazione Macchine srl and/or ECM Notified Body no.1282]
Cylinders and valves with forged or improper Notified Body markings are illegal to place on the market in the UK, EU and many other countries. Please report improper use of the Notified Body number 1282 direct to ECM via info@entecerma.it
The safety risks are clear – non-CE approved cylinders and valves made to uncertain quality standards without proper markings may fail in unexpected and potentially catastrophic ways.
It is also important to note that Periodic Inspection and Test (PIAT) requires access to drawings and/or other manufacturer data for the cylinder to be tested. Reputable manufacturers make this information readily available to test centres. If you buy a ‘marketplace’ cylinder of an unusual or unknown brand this essential information may be inaccessible to your test centre who will therefore be unable to test the cylinder, and it may need to be scrapped.
IDEST strongly recommends that all purchasers of compressed gas cylinders take care to ensure their supplier is a legitimate manufacturer or importer who are lawfully able to place high pressure cylinders and valves on the market. Request copies of Declaration of Conformity, proof of a business address within UK/EU etc to confirm the status of the seller.
Taking risks with cylinders and valves to save a few pounds just isn’t worth it!
