Flammable Liquids

The Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 (PFCSA) provides that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission) must promulgate a rule to require flame mitigation devices in portable fuel containers that impede the propagation of flame into the container unless the Commission determines that there is a voluntary standard for flame mitigation devices that impedes…...

At 11:45 a.m. on May 16, 2022, an employee was preparing to pump fuel into a pump station at an oil and gas site. He was holding the fuel pump and walking towards the fuel tank, when he tripped and inadvertently squeezed the pump’s handle, releasing diesel fuel. When the diesel contacted the pump manifold,…...

At 10:30 a.m. on June 15, 2022, an employee was MIG welding nipples onto the top of a fuel tank truck. The purpose of the nipples was to facilitate a steam cleaning process for the tank, and the work was being performed in an indoor bay of a building. The employee was welding when the…...

If you can tell, I was at a flammable liquids processing facility last week for an introductory visit.  It did not go well as we could not agree on basic compliance measures and RAGAGEP practices associated with PSM-covered and non-covered processes.  One of the major pushbacks I got was their use of some ancient, non-nameplated…...

We talk a lot about flanged and welded connections but not so much about threaded connections.  This is mainly based on my limited experience with threaded connections used in HAZMAT processes.  But one thing I did learn about threaded connections is a MAJOR prohibition for threaded connections @ vessels when the piping/vessel will contain flammable…...

 This is a real event – not a training event.  PPE matters when dealing with a flammable liquids fire (even the potential for)… Flammable Liquid Fire Footage from Orange County Fire Authority on Vimeo…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

I have probably posted more than two dozen reports and videos showing the hazards associated with Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC), almost all associated with flammable liquids.  In September 2019, a facility in Rouen, France, experienced a catastrophic event involving IBCs containing flammable liquids.  It was just a reminder of the hazards and level of risks…...

An employee, 49, of a paint manufacturing company spent eight days in intensive care on life support and has been left with all-over body scarring, partial blindness to one eye, hearing damage, and damage to a knee and shoulder.  He was off work for 16 months.  The explosion at the company’s premises on August 4,…...

We have discussed this before; there is a significant difference between Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEPs) and OSHA’s minimum performance compliance standards.  OSHA standards may be adequate when quantities of the hazardous material(s) are managed at a lower inventory level; however, once those inventory levels exceed the PSM/RMP threshold, the old minimum…...

The phrase “important building” is used in many hazardous material(s) standards and codes.  OSHA, IFC, and NFPA all use the phrase, yet the phrase is not defined in any of these codes.  And because of this lack of definition, there are usually needless debates about their role in safety or the hazards they may present. …...

NFPA’s Fire Protection Research Foundation completed a project to identify, summarize, and analyze static electricity incidents. A summary of the current provisions in NFPA 77 are provided and existing knowledge gaps were identified. This report assists the NFPA 77 Technical Committee on Static Electricity and others in the fire protection and life safety industry. The…...

I was asked what I thought was the best flammable liquid code on the entire planet.  Honestly, I can not answer, as I do not know all the flammable liquid codes on the planet, only those I have worked with in the countries where I do process safety work.  But in my limited experience, I…...