This week’s video is one EVERY worker who transfers flammable and/or combustible liquids MUST see (note the best footage begins at the 2-minute part). Of course the Battalion Chief is doing everything right (actually WRONG from a safety perspective) to get the gasoline vapors to ignite. Here are a few things to consider when watching the video:
- notice that he does NOT let the dispensing nozzle come into contact with the container
- notice that he is splash filling into a 5-gallon container
- notice the container is sitting on a rubber mat (insulator), which is sitting on a cart that has rubber wheels (another insulator from ground)
So the static charge that is generated by flowing through the hose and then the charge that is generated from splash filing is CLEARLY enough to ignite the gasoline. By-the-way, gasoline has a Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) of 0.8 mJ. To put that into some perspective, we don’t feel sparks until they are around 15.0 mJ. Yes, that means that we will NEVER feel the static spark that ignites the gasoline vapors. PROPER transfer of any flammable AND combustible liquid is a MUST each and every time – NO shortcuts!