Static spark started fire that heavily damaged Cuyahoga Falls factory
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A study of flammable liquid storage tank accidents
This paper reviews 242 accidents of storage tanks that occurred in industrial facilities over last 40 years. Fishbone Diagram is applied to analyze the causes that lead to accidents. Corrective actions are also provided to help operating engineers handling similar situations in the future. The results show that 74% of accidents occurred in petroleum…...
UPDATE on the Magna Blend flammable liquid fire
Today I exchanged e-mails with a longtime member of SAFTENG and the Fire Chief of the Waxahachie Fire Dept regarding the Magana Blend flammable liquids fire on October 3, 2011. The Chief is being very open and helpful in sharing as much information that he can at this time. He has given me permission to…...
Plastics and Flammables – It’s what can occur outside the container we tend to over look
I have written extensively on flammable liquids and the hazards they present to work environments; but there is one hazard associated with using plastic containers for flammable liquids that tends to be lost in all the attention that is focused on what is happening within the containers and not outside the container. In this article…...
Is a flame arrestor required in a “safety can”?
Not meant to be a trick question, but as it turns out, it actually is! It depends on if your workplace is a “general industry” or “construction” worksite. Now stick with me as I explain the difference…… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Flammable Liquids, Portable Tanks, and Polyethylene Containers
Polyethylene (e.g. plastics) containers and portable tanks (e.g. totes) have found their way into the flammable and combustible liquids market. Although many insurance companies take issue with their use, OSHA has had an official position on their use since 1984. Their compliance position is the following:… Membership Required You must be a member to access...
Frac Tank Explosion Presentation from XTO Energy
First I would like to say THANKS to XTO Energy for stepping up and sharing their lessons learned from thier incidents!! These days, this is very rare, but this presentation is just too good not to share with others. My only wish is that I had seen this before 1996, when I experienced my first…...
CAUTION! Frac Tanks are NOT designed for Flammable and Combustible Liquids
This article is overdue, as many businesses use these mobile tanks for almost anything on the planet! Unfortunately, these mobile storage tanks are NOT designed for everything on the planet. Without getting into materials of construction concerns and compatibility issues, I want to touch on my biggest concern: using these mobile tanks in some flammable…...
A breakdown of the NFPA 30-2012 changes
NFPA has released the 2012 edition of NFPA 30 – Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code. There are some changes in this new 2012 edition. They are intended to respond to newly identified risks:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Flammable Liquid Storage Tanks and Venting
Flammable liquids are “volatile liquids” with relatively low boiling points. This means it does not take much to get these materials boiling, especially on a hot summer day. And just like that pot of boiling water on our stove, the flammable liquids in these above-ground tanks can generate tremendous volumes of flammable vapors, which can…...
Flammable Storage Cabinets… Did you know?
A flammable storage cabinet is much different from a regular office cabinet! They may look similar in size and shape, but that is where their similarity ends. A flammable storage cabinet MUST have special features to comply with NFPA 30 and/or 1910.106(d)(3)…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready...
Did you know the LEL of a vapor and the MEC for a combustible dust can be lower when mixed together?
A lot of folks know about flammable liquids and their vapors. A smaller group of folks know about combustible dusts. Yet there is a even a smaller group that knows that when a flammable vapor/gas and a combustible dusts are mixed together, both the vapor and the dust will have a LOWER LEL than if…...