Businesses that handle, store, and dispense flammable liquids face several serious safety concerns. Do you have any contingencies to handle potential hazards? Is your staff aware of safety protocols specific to flammable liquid storage?
Your workforce must also have the knowledge and training necessary to handle flammable liquids in a safe and compliant way. Read to learn more about proper handling and storage for flammable liquids.
Potential Hazards Associated with Flammable Liquids
Flammable liquids emit vapors that can ignite at temperatures below 37 degrees Celsius. When exposed to an ignition source, these vapours can catch fire. Some hazards that result as a consequence of flammable liquids include the following:
- Environmental damage from chemical spills
- Asphyxiation from inhaling flammable vapors
- Flash fires and burns from an ignition source
- Volatile reactions from the chemical mixing
How to Handle and Store Flammable Liquids
Flammable liquids travel best inside 205L drums and 1000L bulk containers. Without the proper equipment, there’s a high risk of injury, especially during transport.
Intermediate bulk containers usually require forklifts when they’re transported out of storage houses. But the 205L drums are harder to handle owing to their design.
To ensure safe handling, you can integrate forklift attachments into your system. Additionally, use drum handling equipment when decanting 205L drums to avoid spillage.
Another important factor to consider when storing flammable liquids is the container design. It must conform to ULC standards as per the current flammable cabinet storage guidelines.
Additionally, the cabinets must feature a metal-based double-wall construction. The design must include a 3-point door latch and a tight door sill, at least 50 millimeters from the floor.
How to Transport and Dispense Flammable Liquids
When transporting and storing flammable liquids, there’s an added risk of a chemical spill. When such chemicals react with ignition sources or other incompatible chemicals, they can cause a fire outbreak.
To avoid such risks, you should store flammable liquids in a work area that’s at least 3 meters away from all possible spark points and 5 meters away from reactive chemicals, including mechanical, thermal, or electrical sources.
How to Handle and Dispense Flammable Liquids
Flammable liquids may release large amounts of vapours when they’re handled in a workplace. Such vapours may come into contact with ignition sources. This is a major cause of fire hazards, especially in factories and warehouses.
To mitigate these risks, you must store and dispense flammable liquids in a well-ventilated area. Whether doing flammable liquid storage or disposal, always maintain proper airflow. For instance, disposing of flammable chemicals outdoors to naturally dilute the vapours. When dispensing indoors, prevent the disposal of flammable liquids in enclosed areas.
Ensure a Safe Workplace with an Expert
At S.A.F.E Engineering, we deliver safety systems solutions for various industries. Our compliance training sessions assist workers in adopting industry best practices for material handling, storage, and disposal. To learn more about flammable liquid safety, storage, and disposal practices, contact us now.
