If you’re searching for an answer to, ‘How do you store combustible liquids?’, this post will give you all the essential details that you need to know. Combustible liquids are commonly used across a broad range of industries including mining, transport, construction and agriculture. Find out how you can safely store your combustible liquids at your work site with these simple and straightforward tips.
To properly store any type of chemical, the first step is determining the properties, hazards and class of the substance that you’re dealing with.
Combustible, in the simplest of terms, means the ability for a substance to ‘combust’ – that is, to burst into flames when an ignition source is present. There are many common fuels and chemicals that are classed as combustible liquids, including some diesel fuels, engine oil and kerosene.
Combustible liquids are defined in the Australian Standard 1940 – The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids, as: “Any liquid, other than a flammable liquid, that has a flash point, and has a fire point that is less than its boiling point.”
No, combustible liquids are not classfied as dangerous goods. To be classed as dangerous goods, a substance must be listed in the Australian Dangerous Goods (ADG) Code or determined to be dangerous by legislation.
However, both flammable and combustible substances pose a significant fire risk, so consideration must be taken with handling and storage.
Key hazards associated with combustible liquids may affect staff, the workplace itself, as well as the surrounding neighbourhood and natural environment.
The hazards to control when storing combustible substances include:
To work safely with these substances, it’s important to have a range of measures in place to minimise harm. Some of these measures may include storing products in compliant chemical storage, using handling equipment to move chemical packages, using the correct personal protective equipment, implementing administrative controls, and ensuring regular chemical safety training is provided for all staff, supervisors and contractors.
A flash point is the lowest temperature at which the flammable or combustible liquid emits enough flammable vapours to cause a fire or explosion when an ignition source is introduced. Flash point is determined by two testing methods: open cup tests or closed cup tests.
Flammable liquids have a flash point of 60°, while combustible liquids have a higher flashpoint of greater than 60°.
The lower the flash point of your chemicals, the more volatile the substance – and the greater the fire and explosion risk. However, that’s not to say that combustibles with higher flash points aren’t dangerous. While circumstances in which they will ignite are at a higher temperature than flammable liquids (which can ignite at regular working temperatures), they must still be handled and stored in manner that prevents the risk of ignition.
IMPORTANT: Do you have diesel fuel on site? Learn more about determining whether your chemicals are flammable or combustible substances by reading our blog, Is Diesel Flammable or Combustible?
Combustible substances are further divided into two classes, which are (again) dictated by the flash point of the substance.
Combustible liquids are further separated into the following classes:
In Australia, we do not classify combustible liquids with a flash point higher than 93°C (ie. Class C2 combustible liquids) as hazardous chemicals.
Therefore, while they are still to be managed to prevent ignition and other hazards, they aren't subject to Part 7.1 of the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations. Part 7.1 of the WHS Regulations is the section which is specifically focused on requirements that relate to ‘hazardous chemicals’.
However, we suggest storing all flammable and combustible liquids, regardless of their flash point, in dedicated storage that mitigates the risks that these chemicals pose. This will assist with vapour control, spill containment and the isolation from incompatible substances – to name just a few of the benefits.
Combustible liquids, just like any type of chemical, each have specific requirements for their handling and storage. Therefore, for every different type of combustible substance that you have onsite, you’ll have to first refer to their safety data sheets.
The simplest way to find out if your chemical is a combustible liquid is to see the following sections in your safety data sheet:
To determine the flash point of your chemical, refer to:
REMEMBER: Refer to Section 7: Handling and Storage of your safety data sheet to find all the necessary precautions to take when working with this substance. We also highly recommend reading the Australian Standard 1940 to determine the exact requirements for handling and storage.
By managing hazardous areas and storage facilities in your operations, you can effectively reduce the likelihood of combustible liquids creating a fire hazard, as well as posing harm to your staff through chemical exposure and the inhalation of vapours.
Key points to consider when storing packages of combustible substances in the workplace:
The Australian Standard 1940 details all the features of a compliant flammable and combustible liquids store.
By purchasing dangerous goods storage equipment that’s made to Australian Standards (1940), you are selecting products that will minimise the likelihood and impact of a workplace hazard caused by Class 3 substances.
For indoor chemical storage of combustible liquids, we recommend a Class 3 Safety Cabinet with the approprate COMBUSTIBLE signage.
When storing combustible liquids in the outdoor environment, we suggest a Class 3 IBC / pallet store (again with a COMBUSTIBLE sign). Alternatively, lubricants which are defined as combustible substances can be stored and dispensed from a Storemasta Dispensing Station, which is particularly useful on remote sites.
Thanks for reading our post on the storage of Class 3 combustible liquids in the workplace. If you’d like to learn more about reducing risk in your operations, you can download our free eBook. While flammable liquids are classed as dangerous goods and can ignite more easily than combustible liquids, the principles of how you manage these risks remains very similar. Spills, vapour containment, PPE, staff training and the isolation of ignition sources are all important factors for storage of either flammable or combustible liquids.
We’ll introduce you to our proven 4-step risk control methodology and provide you with tools to improve chemical safety at your site, such as our handy risk management matrix. Get your copy today to learn more about combustible liquid safety.