4 Critical Risk Areas to Assess when Storing Flammable Liquids

Have you carried out a risk assessment prior to the purchase of your Dangerous Goods storage equipment? Our team always recommend doing this before you consider new storage solutions — especially when it comes to Class 3 Flammable Liquids cabinets. This blog has been created to help you determine the level of risk in your business. We’ll be taking you through 4 critical risk areas that you should assess if you’re storing flammable liquids. 

1. Fire Risk

The first (and most obvious) risk area is the likelihood of your flammable liquids  igniting  —  or magnifying —  a fire that may have started in another work area. 

Conducting a fire risk assessment in your business is essential if you’re using or storing any type or quantity of Class 3 Flammable Liquids.

Therefore, your risk assessment must consider: 

• Flash point, auto-ignition temperature, and explosive range of the chemicals. 
• Potential ignition sources on the worksite — or nearby properties. 
• Quantities of flammable liquids kept onsite, as well as other Dangerous Goods and hazardous chemicals. 
• The amount of combustible materials on the worksite and surrounding properties that could support and sustain a fire. 
• Compliance and effectiveness of existing chemical stores. 
• Hazard points where flammable liquids are being used, transferred, or decanted. 
• Standard of administrative controls including safe work procedures, level of supervision, attitude and acceptance of workers, effectiveness of monitoring programs. 
• Level of fire and disaster preparedness of the worksite. 
• Incompatibility and reactivity of substances if storing mixed classes onsite.
• The fire risk relating to your quantities of flammable liquid and site risks, as per the Australian Standard for mixed classes of dangerous goods AS 3833.

Even if your worksite only carries a few tins of paint and some mower fuel, you still need to carry out a fire risk assessment. It could be that all you need is a flammable liquids cabinet to significantly minimise your fire risk. 

Even small quantities of Class 3 Flammable Liquids have the potential to emit hazardous vapours and cause fires and explosions.

2. Spill Risk 

Next, you should assess the level of risk surrounding chemical leaks and spills.  

Section 357 of the WHS Regulations requires you have containment systems and spill management procedures if you carry hazardous chemicals.  

Flammable liquid spills and leaks must be effectively contained as per WHS Regulations, as they can result in fire, flashback, explosion and human harm.

Your spill risk assessment will consider: 

• All the places onsite where a chemical spill could occur. 
• The size of the area a spill could potentially reach. 
• Potential damage to the worksite. 
• How many people on the worksite could be exposed? 
• Could the spill affect neighbouring properties or the local community? 
• How the spill could impact the natural environment.

Chemical quantities will be of primary importance to your risk assessment as you will be determining the required capacity of spill protection equipment and bunding.

REMEMBER: Indoor flammable liquids cabinets have a liquid-tight spill containment sump and can help you meet the legal requirement to manage chemical leaks and spills. 

3. Health Risk

Flammable liquids can also be hazardous to human health if workers or visiting personnel come in contact with the chemicals.  

Refer closely to the Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) to determine the potential health hazards for each of the following exposure routes: 

• Inhalation. Flammable liquids produce vapours and fumes that can be fatal if inhaled in strong concentrations. Lower concentrations can produce dizziness, impairment, headaches, and nausea. Long term exposure can lead to terminal illnesses like cancer. 
• Swallowing. Chemicals can be accidentally swallowed during pipe bursts and bulk transfer incidents. Many flammable liquids are toxic and corrosive and can quickly damage the throat and the respiratory tract. Large doses can be fatal. 
• Ingestion. Chemical particles and liquid molecules can be ingested after settling on hands, fingernails, beards and facial hair. Corrosive and irritant chemicals can cause immediate coughing and throat irritation. However, long-term exposure can lead to organ damage, cancer and other terminal illnesses. 
• Skin or eye contact. If the chemicals are capable of splashing onto the skin or eyes, workers may be at risk of burns, scars, eye damage and blindness. Some chemicals that enter the bloodstream via skin or eye contact can cause fatal injuries. 

Your risk assessment will consider the quantities being held, the amount of people in contact with the chemicals, the concentration levels and the way they are used, stored and handled. 

REMEMBER: An important part of your chemical risk assessment will be to determine if there are enough skin and eye hazards to warrant a plumbed safety shower and eye wash unit. 

4. Environmental Risk 

Finally, you must consider how the chemicals in your organisation could harm adjacent properties, the local community, and the natural environment.  

In your risk assessment, ensure that you consider these points:  

• Are the chemicals harmful to aquatic life, flora or fauna?  
• Are they capable of causing a major bushfire? 
• Could an accidental spill cause the chemicals to be released into drains, waterways, groundwater, pastoral lands, forests, the ocean? 
• Could the chemicals impact the environmental health of public parks, gardens, or sports grounds? 
• Are there airborne emissions which could pollute airways or breathing zones of neighbours? 

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f the flammable liquids in your workplace spill or ignite, is there the potential for damage to occur to the local environment and community?

What Risks Exist In Your Workplace? 

Safety cabinets that have been manufactured to the guidelines of AS1940– The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids offer fire and spill protection. They will also reduce the likelihood of flammable liquids causing human harm or damage to the natural environment through their high-tech risk control measures.   

Would you like to learn more about how to use chemical safety cabinets or assess the risks associated with Class 3 Flammable Liquids? Then we invite you to access our helpful eBook Essential Considerations When Storing Flammable Liquids Indoors.  It’s a handy tool that can be used as the basis of your next chemical risk assessment.