“Stop, drop and roll!”
Adults everywhere recognize this mantra from fire safety lessons they attended as children. When it comes to fire safety, people usually learn how to address a potential fire from a young age, including how to identify and remove fire hazards around their homes.
Unfortunately as adults the rules of fire safety become more complicated. It may not be possible to remove or replace flammable items in the workplace with nonflammable or less flammable substitutes that get the job done, effectively and safely.
As a result, people in certain fields are required to work with potentially flammable substances. Just a few examples of spillable flammable substances often found on worksites include:
- gasoline
- paint solvents
- lighter fluid
- certain cleaning agents
- butane
- pesticides
- oils
- propane
- diesel fuel
While flammable liquids will not burn while in liquid form, the problems begin when the liquids begin to evaporate, creating vapors that can be ignited. Once in gaseous state, ignition sources such as sparks from faulty wiring or the embers of a cigarette can quickly create a fire emergency. Because of this, in the event of a flammable liquid spill workers must be ready to respond promptly and efficiently to properly clean and control the spill.
Typically in the event of a flammable substance spill, workers need to use absorbent products and then properly collect the used absorbent items in sealed containers. The cleaning process also calls for close attention to the types of containers and bags used to store used absorbents in these cases, to make sure that the storage items in question won’t accidentally create a spark. Why? Because often, absorbent products leak the materials they absorb – and when flammable materials leak and evaporate, heat and ignition sources can quickly cause a fire.
Fortunately, some absorbent product companies are taking this into consideration when they create their absorbent products. The result is a line of safer absorbent products that effectively contain spilled flammable liquids. SpillFix, for example, properly contains absorbed spills without leaks; SpillFix is also unlikely to catch fire after absorbing flammable spills. So while any absorbent product should be used with caution when absorbing flammable spills, it’s good to know that products like SpillFix exist and can help workers across the nation address the ever important issue of fire safety.
The absorbent product used on a worksite is just the beginning of necessary fire safety procedures. What other steps have you taken to address fire safety at work? Let us know in the comments!
