This week I posted the requirement for transferring a flammable liquid using “gravity”. This requirement comes from OSHA’s flammable liquid standard…
1910.106(e)(2)(iv)(d) flammable liquids shall be drawn from or transferred into vessels, containers, or portable tanks within a building only through a closed piping system, from safety cans, by means of a device drawing through the top, or from a container or portable tanks BY GRAVITY THROUGH AN APPROVED SELF-CLOSING VALVE. Transferring by means of air pressure on the container or portable tanks shall be prohibited.
So I have received several e-mails/texts and a phone call asking what is an “OSHA Approved Self-Closing Valve”? FIRST and FOREMOST, we have to understand that OSHA does not and has NEVER approved a product! So what OSHA is speaking of when they use this type of language is a 3rd Party Approval. Who does OSHA recognize as an “approval” authority? Well OSHA calls them a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and they are listed on OSHA’s website. But for a flammable liquid valve that is a “self-closing valve” there are only a few NRTL’s that OSHA recognizes that would “test and approve” such a device. For me, a “deadman valve” should carry an FM 
or UL 
approval! The valve shown is an FM Approved “Deadman” Valve for flammable liquids, specifically for drums.
NOTE: I am not endorsing the valve or either approval authority and FM is a corporate sponsor of this site and yes I am very partial to FM products; you can use any valve as long as it carries approval from one of the list NRTLs…