Do Draeger tubes expire? Shelf life, the date on the box and how to store them
Yes. The reagent system in a Draeger tube does not have an unlimited shelf life, so an expiration date is printed on the packaging, and the handbook states that the date must not be exceeded to get a correct result. The typical shelf life for the customer is up to two years. The date is on the underside of the package strip as a month and year, next to the order number, the series or batch number and the customer storage temperature. Tubes are stored in the sealed package at the temperature on the strip, usually room temperature; a few tubes require cold storage below 10 °C and say so on the package (handbook section 2.13, pp. 68–70).
Draeger Hydrogen Sulfide 0.2/a Detector Tubes, Box of 10Hydrogen sulfide 0.2/a, 0.2 to 6 ppm, the lowest-range H2S tube we listWhy is there a date at all? The handbook explains that Draeger tubes are pre-calibrated at the factory, batch by batch, with the scale printed on the tube. The reagent chemistry that makes the color change is what ages. Draeger states the overall shelf life when it develops a tube and splits it into a storage period at Draeger under cold-storage conditions and a storage period at the customer under ambient conditions, which is the period the printed date covers. Several packages of every batch are kept for up to three years as reference samples and control-measured over two years; if a batch drifts from its calibration, recall actions are implemented (pp. 68–70, 79).
What is on the package label
From the labeled package illustration in section 2.13 (p. 69).
Storage and use, as the handbook states it
- Store in the supplied, sealed packaging at the temperature stated on the package strip, to prevent temperature and light influences (p. 70).
- Some tubes require cold storage by the customer (below 10 °C); the package says so. The cold chain is interrupted in transport, and Draeger pre-ages samples of every batch (for example three days at 70 °C) to confirm the reading does not change (p. 70).
- Read the tube immediately after measurement. Long exposure to direct sunlight can change the discoloration, so a used tube is not kept as evidence (p. 39).
- Draeger tubes do not require a safety data sheet under REACH because they contain no hazardous ingredients in the regulatory sense; Draeger provides product safety information sheets instead (p. 70).
- The tube is single use: one measurement per tube, then disposal per the instructions for use.
Draeger tubes for the gases most often spot-checked
8 items · prices liveAll ship in 1–2 business days; every box carries the expiration date on the package strip as the handbook describes.
Every Draeger tube we list, with the handbook data, is on the Draeger tubes A–Z chart; each gas has its own page with the OSHA and NIOSH limits.
Questions people ask
How long do Draeger tubes last?
The handbook states a typical shelf life for the customer of up to two years, counted at the storage temperature printed on the package strip (p. 68).
Can I use a Draeger tube after its expiration date?
The handbook states the expiration date must not be exceeded to receive a correct measurement result (p. 68).
Where is the expiration date?
On the underside of the package strip, as month and year, next to the order number and batch number (p. 69).
Do Draeger tubes need to be refrigerated?
Most are stored at the temperature on the package strip, typically room temperature; a few require cold storage below 10 °C and are labeled accordingly (p. 70).
Does a tube need a safety data sheet?
Per the handbook, no: Draeger tubes do not contain hazardous ingredients in the sense of REACH 1907/2006; Draeger publishes product safety information sheets instead (p. 70).
Related guides
How to read a Draeger tube: the stain, the scale and the three cases the handbook describesReading a tubeWhat do Draeger tubes measure? The gases, the ranges and what the number on the tube meansWhat Draeger tubes measureDraeger tubes in heat, cold, humidity and at altitude: what the handbook says to correctTemperature, humidity, pressureDraeger tubes by gas and range: all 183 tubes for 98 gases on one pageTubes by gas and rangeStandards and ratings on this page are as published in the documents named and by the manufacturers named. The employer’s hazard assessment and written program decide what applies at a given workplace. Verify a rating on the product and its spec sheet before use.