One part of managing flammable liquids is minimizing fuel load in the event there is a fire. Both state codes and OSHA utilize what is called “maximum allowable quantity per control area“. This practice is based on the “degree of hazard” or as OSHA calls them today “Hazard Category” of the flammable liquid or gas…...
I do not know much about this video, such as where it was shot, was it a set up for demo or real-life. But the FLIR footage is quite telling as we can see the vapors exiting the fill port. These days in the USA a lot of stations have a “vapor-recovery” system so I…...
This week we saw OSHA issue a $1.5M citation after an explosion killed four workers at a silicon chemical products manufacturer. All of the citations were classified as Willful and all were related to using equipment that was not approved for a hazardous location (HAZLOC). This week I was working with a client doing a…...
This week we saw OSHA issue a $1.5M citation after an explosion killed four workers at a silicon chemical products manufacturer. All of the citations were classified as Willful and all were related to using equipment that was not approved for a hazardous location (HAZLOC). This week I was working with a client doing a…...
This is another case of a PLASTIC tote being used for a NON-CONDUCTIVE Flammable Liquid and a serious incident occured due to the failure to control the ignition source… STATIC ELECTRICITY! SAFTENG Members be sure to check out the posts earlier this year of a very similar incident that was caught on camera (Transferring flammable…...
This $50 device is priceless in validating that the ventilation system is functioning as designed Verifying that a mechanical exhaust system provides sufficient airflow is critical for preventing the accumulation of flammable vapors. The use of a Vaneometer™ is ideal for monitoring low-velocity air currents (typically 25 to 400 feet per minute) at the face…...
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…...
There is a sound reason why OSHA’s Flammable Liquid Standard has required a deadman valve for over 40 years and it is the same reason why I have written about their use for 20 years… When things go bad and you need to get the heck out of dodge quickly, you can do so AND…...
SAFTENG NOTE: Please do NOT misunderstand what is being said here. This study was in NO WAY an endorsement that cell phones are safe for hazardous locations. What is being said, is that cell phones do not cause gasoline fueling fires; which we have debunked that myth here for over a decade. Static electricity generated…...
This video is about as picture-perfect as we can get to show us how static is an ignition source. The plastic rolls (commonly called expandable polystyrene or EPS for short is made with Pentane, a highly flammable CAT 1 gas that is heavier than air and has a Minimum Ignition Energy of just 0.22 mJ. When…...
Technical Tip Tuesday… nitrogen is NOT heavier than air! In fact, pure Nitrogen gas is LIGHTER (~3% lighter) than the Oxygen and Argon (with the Nitrogen) that make up our atmosphere. It is perfectly mixed in the air. Hence the air we are breathing right now (assuming you’re on the surface of the earth) is 78%…...
On 11/20/207 a cosmetic plant in NY suffered a fatal fire. The explosion and subsequent fire was caused by static electricity and Flammable liquids. I need to point out that the fatality was from smoke inhalation and was an employee who was not involved in the handling of the flammable liquids in the initial event…....
