As volatile substances that can produceenough flammablevapours toignite at low temperatures,Class 3 Flammable Liquidsare Dangerous Goods that must be given careful consideration when used and stored in the workplace.If the correct procedures aren’t followed by staff, there are some real risks associated with their handling and storage.This blog details the risks associated with flammable liquids and the essential safety precautions you can take to ensure your workplace stays safe and compliant. When your business is carrying any quantity of flammable liquids, you must ensure that all staff, supervisors and contractors are awareof the risks associated with this class of Dangerous Goods.Measures must be put in place to reduce the likelihood and impact of fire, explosion or human harm. Any failure to do so may result in a range of serious implications for your business and the wider community. Some implicationsmayinclude: As there are many possible negative implications associated with the use and storage of this class of Dangerous Goods,it’s crucial that flammable liquids are stored, handled (and disposed of) in a way that effectively reduces the risk that they have on your organisation. IMPORTANT: To fully assess the risks associated with thechemicals in your workplace,you shouldorganiseachemicalrisk assessmentat your site.We alsosuggestthatyoufollow the 4-stepriskmanagementprocess:Identify – Assess – Control - Sustain, so your business can comply with WHS Legislation. Tominimisetheabove-mentionedrisks associated with Class 3 Dangerous Goods, youshouldimplement control measures to address themany risks that they pose. Our team of Field Auditors often see worksites that have neglected to follow the basic safety requirements for the safe storage of flammable liquids.Situations such asstaff leavingopen tins of painton benchesorkeepingdrums offlammable liquids on wooden palletsare examples of non-compliant and unsafe chemicalstorage.What Are The Dangers Associated With Class 3 Flammable Liquids?
Flammable liquids pose a multitude of risks toorganisationsthat carry them includingfire and explosion.What Are The SafePractices For The Storage and Handling Of Flammable Liquids?
Storing your Dangerous Goods in a safe and compliant way is not only asafety precaution, it’syour legal obligation.
To help you maintainchemical compliance in your workplace, we’ve listed5 keyprecautionsthat all businesses carrying flammable liquids should taketo ensure a safer workplace.
1. StoreFlammable Liquids In Well-Ventilated Areas
As we’ve discussed earlier in this blog, Class 3FlammableLiquidscan emit large quantities offlammablevapours.
These flammablevapoursare often the main cause of harm to people and property. If excessive quantities of flammablevapoursare inhaledby staff, it canresult inintoxication, nausea and asphyxiation.Ifflammablevapoursmeetan ignition source—or mix with incompatible chemicals—it can result in severe fireswhich are difficult to contain and put out.
To reduce these risks, it is important to store your flammable liquids in a well-ventilated area.Choosing an indoor location with adequate natural ventilation will reduce theconcentration of the flammablevapoursin the air, therebyminimisingthe risk of fire and asphyxiation.
Ensuring your indoor flammable liquidsstores are properly ventilated reduces the risk of fire, explosion and asphyxiation.
If you are storing your flammable liquids in an indoor location without adequate airflow, you may need to consider the installation of amechanical ventilation systemto safely dissipate these hazardousvapours.Refer to Safe Work Australia’s Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants todetermine if the flammable liquids are subject tothe legal exposure standards.
2. Contain and Manage Flammable Liquid Spills
The containment and management of chemical spills is one of the most crucial factors in flammable liquids safety.WHS Regulations states in Subdivision 2the requirements forpreventing and managingchemical spills. In summary, each part of the workplace where a hazardous chemicalisused, handled, generated or stored,must have aspill containment systemin place that can contain the chemicalspill —as well as any resulting effluent.
Further to this requirement,the spill containment system must not create a further hazard by bringing together incompatible chemicals. Businesses are also obliged to providefor the cleanup and disposalprocess required due to thechemical leak or spill.
Therefore, when using or storing your flammable liquids, you must providespill containment as a vital safety measure. Whether your business employsa spill containment system which featuresbunded storage,drum bunding, floor bundingand/or an all-in-onedispensing systemfor your flammable liquids,you’re legally required to contain and manage anychemical spill in your workplace.
REMEMBER:Due to the chemical properties of flammable liquids, any bunding products used to contain chemical spills must beconstructed from materials thatarefire resistant, chemically resistant and sufficiently impervious to retain theflammable liquidsspill.
3. MaintainGoodHousekeeping Practices
An integral part of safe storage is theongoing maintenanceof your flammable liquids stores.A particularly significanthousekeeping practicethat should be establishedis to ensure thatClass 3 Dangerous Goodsare always packaged safely. Flammable liquids storage containers and drums must be in good condition and labeled correctly. Correct labeling allows workers to identify the risks associated with the substance— and keep your chemicals away from ignition sources and incompatible substances.
If any flammable liquidscontainers ordrumsaredamaged, they must be decommissioned andimmediatelyreplaced. You should also ensure that alllidsonflammable liquids containersarealways fastened when thechemicalsare not being used.By keeping the lids on your flammable liquidcontainers, you’re actively reducing the amount ofvapoursthat aredispersed into the workplace.
4. Ensure The AvailabilityOfSafety Data Sheets
Whenany hazardous chemicalsare used in the workplace, a copy of theSafety Data Sheetsfor each substance must be kept close to the area where thechemical isbeing stored.
SafetyData Sheetsareessentialdocuments that chemical manufacturers develop to accompany the use of their hazardous chemicals.
These documents provide critical information about the hazardous chemical including:
- The chemical’s identity
- Health and physical hazards
- Storage and handling requirements
- Emergency procedures
The information within the Safety Data Sheetswillinform workers of the risks associated with flammable liquids.We recommend storing your Safety Data Sheets in adocument storage boxthatcan adequately protect your documents. To ensure easy access for your staff, youcanmount the document storage boxon the side of the flammable liquidscabinets or stores.
5.Use ACompliantFlammable Storage Cabinet
To achieve the lowest level of risk, flammable liquidsshouldalways be stored in aflammable liquids storage cabinet. A safety cabinet used for the storage of flammable liquids must meet the requirements of the Australian Standards. The Australian Standard that outlines the requirements for the storage of flammable liquids in AS1940.
Features of acompliant flammable cabinetinclude adual-skinned construction, provision for ventilation, perforated shelves, self-closing doors and a spill containment sump. The insulated constructionof the cabinetprotectsthe flammable liquids within thecabinetfromheat. It alsoallowsfora 10-minute windowof timein the event of a workplace fire. This gives staff enough time to evacuate the building andinstigate the use of firefighting equipment.
Theperforated shelves and provision for ventilationare risk control measures to reduce the build-up of hazardousvapours.Flammable liquid spills are directed into the lowerspill containment sump, which has the capacity to contain any chemical spills or leaks.
IMPORTANT: If your cabinet does not meet the requirements of AS 1940:2017 you will not be adequately protected from the risks posed by Class 3 Flammable Liquids. You may also facepenalties orfines for breaching WHS laws.
Use The AppropriatePersonal Protective Equipment
When flammable liquids are used in the workplace, it is a good practice to use personal protective equipment. Somepersonal protective equipmentthatmay be necessary includesrespiratory equipment, gloves,safety specs, safety footwear and protective clothing.
As flammable liquids emit flammable vapours, the provision for respiratory equipment allows staff to prevent asphyxiation, nausea and other serious health effects.
To protect staff from toxic flammable liquids, gloves,safety glasses, protective clothing and safety footwearwill be required to reduce the risk of flammable liquids being splashed on the skin or in the eyes.
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Workers musthave access to the appropriate PPE if they are handling Class 3 Flammable Liquids.
If contact with the face or body does occur, flammable liquids must bewashedoffimmediately in order to avoid serious injury.Personal protective equipment should always be stored in a highly visible PPE cabinet that is located next to the flammable liquids storage facility.
Are You Handling and Storing Flammable Liquids Safely?
While we’ve listed 5 key safety precautions for the storage of flammable liquids, there are many more risk control measures you can take to ensure a safe and compliant workplace. As we’veexplained in this blog, Class 3FlammableLiquids posea wide range of risks to the people, property and environment of your business.Tominimisethese risks, it’s important to identify where they exist and assess the severity(and the likelihood)of them occurring. This data will allow you to implement effectivecontrols in your flammable liquids work areas.If you’d like to find out more about implementing controls in yourorganisation, we have a guide that can help you. Simply click on the below image to access your free copy ofHow To Reduce The Risk Of Flammable Liquids In The Workplace.
Would you like to learn more about the safety precautions you should take when storing Dangerous Goods?
Read our next blog:
Safety Precautions For The Storage OfHazardous Chemicals In The Workplace
