Flammable Liquids

Did NFPA make “30 seconds” the norm for “relaxation time”?

Did the 2024 edition of NFPA 77, Recommended Practice on Static Electricity establish a norm for “relaxation time”?  In six (6) different sections across five (5) chapters, the recommended practice cites “30 seconds” as a “suitable precaution.” (emphasis by me)… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member?...

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Layers of Protection for Flammable Liquids

The protection provided by the 2021 IFC is to prevent flammable and combustible liquids from becoming ignited. This is accomplished by one or more of the following layers of protection:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

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Cell manufacturing, Acetone, a plastic office mat, and an office chair ends in serious injuries

I was asked to participate in a serious flash fire accident cause and origin investigation earlier this year.  The worker received severe injuries from the flash fire; they survived with life-altering injuries to their lower extremities.  The flash fire involved Acetone vapors from a manufacturing cell, an office chair, and a plastic chair mat.  Can…...

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Linseed Oil, rags, and spontaneous combustion work together to cause $1.5 million in damages

On July 15, 2022, the 79.9-foot-long yacht Pegasus caught fire while moored at the Peninsula Yacht Basin in Gig Harbor, Washington.  No persons were on board, and the fire burned for about an hour before it was reported. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had engulfed the aft section of the yacht, and the…...

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Use of Personal Electronic Devices for Payment Activities at Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities (NFPA)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been alerted to reports and rumors that suggest it is dangerous to use a wireless phone while filling your vehicle with gas or in the presence of flammable materials.  The rumors and reports may be fueled by warnings posted at gas stations or included in wireless phone owners’ manuals…...

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Improper direct-reading instrument sampling tube leads to fatal explosion (UK’s HSE)

A fatal explosion at a chemical facility in 2018 killed a welder who was carrying out maintenance work on a mixing vessel. The HSE investigation found that toluene vapors had leaked into the vessel from faulty valves, producing a flammable atmosphere. Workers had checked the atmosphere with a flammable gas monitor before their work began…....

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“Switch Loading” and “splash filling” lead to tanker truck explosion killing the VP of the company

On February 2, 2011, Employees #1 and #2 worked for a petroleum and petroleum product company. Employee #1 was on top of a transport tanker into which the firm’s vice-president transferred #1 diesel fuel, mixing it with about 1,000 gallons of #2 diesel fuel.  Employee #2 was on the ground. After “splash filling” the center…...

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Failure to PROPERLY VENT flammable vapors causes flashfire @ gas station

In this video, we can see BOTH operators fail to vent the gasoline vapors BACK into the truck.  Instead, they vent them to the atmosphere at ground level.  Gasoline vapors are 2X the weight of air, so they travel along the ground until they find an adequate ignition source (<1 mJ) and accumulate to their…...

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The differences between the OSHA and NFPA requirements for storage of flammable liquids (MN-OSHA)

Inside storage rooms (Liquid Storage Rooms) are normally used: when the containers are opened for mixing, pouring, dispensing, or transfer of flammable liquids; if the quantity is too large to fit into an approved cabinet; if the quantity is excessive for any one fire area; and/or if the opened containers cannot be separated from potential…...

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Non-Conductive Flammable Liquids and filling non-conductive containers

Filling or handling plastic or other non-conducting containers can still be hazardous when the flammable liquid is conductive. The splashing (filling) and turbulence of the liquid in the container can cause a static electric charge to build up in the liquid or on conductive parts of the container that are not adequately grounded. A spark…...

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