Safety Precautions For The Storage Of Flammable Liquids In The Workplace

As volatile substances that can produce enough flammable vapours  to ignite at low temperatures, Class 3 Flammable Liquids are 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. 

What Are The Dangers Associated With Class 3 Flammable Liquids? 

When your business is carrying any quantity of flammable liquids, you must ensure that all staff, supervisors and contractors are aware of 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.  

Flammable liquids pose a multitude of risks to organisations that carry them including fire and explosion. 

Any failure to do so may result in a range of serious implications for your business and the wider community. 

Some implications may include: 

• Asphyxiation 
• Severe injury 
• Fatalities 
• Property loss and damage  
• Decrease profitability due to down time 
• Environmental harm  
• Impact on the local community 
• Financial liability due to non-compliance  

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 the chemicals in your workplace, you should organise a chemical risk assessment at your site. We also suggest that you follow the 4-step risk management process: Identify – Assess – Control - Sustain, so your business can comply with WHS Legislation. 

What Are The Safe Practices For The Storage and Handling Of Flammable Liquids? 

To minimise the above-mentioned risks associated with Class 3 Dangerous Goods, you should implement control measures to address the many 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 as staff leaving open tins of paint on benches or keeping drums of flammable liquids on wooden pallets are examples of non-compliant and unsafe chemical storage.   

Storing your Dangerous Goods in a safe and compliant way is not only a safety precaution, it’s your legal obligation.

To help you maintain chemical compliance in your workplace, we’ve listed 5 key precautions that all businesses carrying flammable liquids should take to ensure a safer workplace. 

1. Store Flammable Liquids In Well-Ventilated Areas

As we’ve discussed earlier in this blog, Class 3 Flammable Liquids can emit large quantities of flammable vapours. 

These flammable vapours are often the main cause of harm to people and property. If excessive quantities of flammable vapours are inhaled by staff, it can result in intoxication, nausea and asphyxiation. If flammable vapours meet an ignition source — or mix with incompatible chemicals — it can result in severe fires which 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 the concentration of the flammable vapours in the air, thereby minimising the risk of fire and asphyxiation.  

Ensuring your indoor flammable liquids stores 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 a mechanical ventilation system to safely dissipate these hazardous vapours. Refer to Safe Work Australia’s Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants to determine if the flammable liquids are subject to the 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 2 the requirements for preventing and managing chemical spills. In summary, each part of the workplace where a hazardous chemical is used, handled, generated or stored, must have a spill containment system in place that can contain the chemical spill — 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 provide for the cleanup and disposal process required due to the chemical leak or spill.  

Therefore, when using or storing your flammable liquids, you must provide spill containment as a vital safety measure. Whether your business employs a spill containment system which features bunded storage, drum bunding, floor bunding and/or an all-in-one dispensing system for your flammable liquids, you’re legally required to contain and manage any chemical spill in your workplace. 

REMEMBER: Due to the chemical properties of flammable liquids, any bunding products used to contain chemical spills must be constructed from materials that are fire resistant, chemically resistant and sufficiently impervious to retain the flammable liquids spill. 

3. Maintain Good Housekeeping Practices   

An integral part of safe storage is the ongoing maintenance of your flammable liquids stores. A particularly significant housekeeping practice that should be established is to ensure that Class 3 Dangerous Goods are 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 liquids containers or drums are damaged, they must be decommissioned and immediately replaced. You should also ensure that all lids on flammable liquids containers are always fastened when the chemicals are not being used. By keeping the lids on your flammable liquid containers, you’re actively reducing the amount of vapours that are dispersed into the workplace.  

4. Ensure The Availability Of Safety Data Sheets 

When any hazardous chemicals are used in the workplace, a copy of the Safety Data Sheets for each substance must be kept close to the area where the chemical is being stored.  

Safety Data Sheets are essential documents 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 Sheets will inform workers of the risks associated with flammable liquids. We recommend storing your Safety Data Sheets in a document storage box that can adequately protect your documents. To ensure easy access for your staff, you can mount the document storage box on the side of the flammable liquids cabinets or stores. 

5. Use A Compliant Flammable Storage Cabinet 

To achieve the lowest level of risk, flammable liquids should always be stored in a flammable 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 AS 1940.  

Features of a compliant flammable cabinet include a dual-skinned construction, provision for ventilation, perforated shelves, self-closing doors and a spill containment sump. The insulated construction of the cabinet protects the flammable liquids within the cabinet from heat. It also allows for a 10-minute window of time in the event of a workplace fire. This gives staff enough time to evacuate the building and instigate the use of firefighting equipment.  

The perforated shelves and provision for ventilation are risk control measures to reduce the build-up of hazardous vapours. Flammable liquid spills are directed into the lower spill 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 face penalties or fines for breaching WHS laws. 

Use The Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment  

When flammable liquids are used in the workplace, it is a good practice to use personal protective equipment. Some personal protective equipment that may be necessary includes respiratory 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 footwear will be required to reduce the risk of flammable liquids being splashed on the skin or in the eyes.  

Workers must have 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 be washed off immediately 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’ve explained in this blog, Class 3 Flammable Liquids pose a wide range of risks to the people, property and environment of your business. To minimise these 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 effective controls in your flammable liquids work areas. If you’d like to find out more about implementing controls in your organisation, we have a guide that can help you. Simply click on the below image to access your free copy of How 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 Of Hazardous Chemicals In The Workplace