Liquids, storage fire codes

A secondary containment AST to prevent contamination of our environment has become a necessity for all hazardous liquid storage, regardless of its chemical nature, in order to minimize liability and protect neighboring property. A number of different regulations exist, but the regulations with the greatest impact are fire codes and the US EPA spec rules for oil storage. 

Diked ASTs Fire codes dictate flammable and combustible liquid tanks have spill control in the form of dike, remote impounding, or small secondary containment tanks. The dike must contain the content of the largest tank to prevent hazardous liquids from endangering the public and property. Traditional bulk storage systems will include multiple tanks within a concrete or earthen dike wall. 

Vaulted. Vaulted tanks are installed inside a concrete vault. The vault, itself a liquid-tight compartment, reduces the fire protection requirements as the NFPA and the International Fire Code Institute (IFCI) recognize these tanks as fire-resistant aboveground storage tanks. The vault provides a two-hour fire wall, thermal protection that minimizes tank breathing losses and pollution, secondary containment, and ballistic protection. 

Diking is a common industry practice for spill retention around flammable liquid storage vessels. Regulations and codes require that exclusion zones be placed between storage vessels to maintain the structural integrity of nearby vessels or process equipment in the event of a fire within the dike (Welker, 1987). Studies of flammable vapor boiloff rates as a function of dike design have been used in the natural gas industry to evaluate optimal materials of construction (Arthur D. Little, Inc., 1974). In recent... 

Storage Cabinets Storage cabinets may be located outside special storerooms. Standards and codes specify their design and construction and limit the quantities of flammables they may contain. Cabinets help protect stored liquids from fires outside them, confine spills within them and keep flammables organized. There are also various styles of safety cans and vertical or horizontal dispensing drums. 

At 1910.106(e)(6)(ii), OSHA says only that Class I liquids shall not be dispensed into containers unless the nozzle and container are electrically interconnected. As such, flammable liquid storage cabinets do not need to be grounded under the OSHA standard. However, published materials from OSHA s Hazardous Materials course (Course 201), indicate that the requirement to ground flammable storage cabinets is found in NFPA77, Recommended Practice on Static Electricity. If NFPA77 has been adopted as by an employer s state or local fire code, then compliance with this grounding requirement would be necessary. 

At 1910.106(d)(3)(ii), OSHA prescribes the requirements for storage cabinets, whether made of metal or wood. The regulation does not make any mention of self-closing doors nor does the NFPA standard on flammable liquids. However, the International Fire Code (3404.3.2.1.3, Doors ) says of flammable storage cabinets that Doors shall be well fitted, self closing an6 equipped with a three-point latch. ... 

The selection of liquid sodium hypochlorite rather than chlorine gas is often based on actual or potential costs to address safety issues. The Uniform Fire Code and (DSHA requirements often increase the cost of using chlorine gas. Depending on a number of factors, gas containment and neutralization scrubbers may be needed. Also, there may be limits to storage inventory that require more frequent deliveries. Extensive emergency response plans may include elaborate evacuation plans and alert systems. 

Is the flammable liquid storage cabinet being used in accordance with manufacturer recommendations and local fire codes ... 

Safety Considerations Design and location of storage tanks, vents, piping, and connections are specified by state fire marshals, underwriters codes, and local ordinances. In NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, 1993 (published by the National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, Mass.), liquid petroleum fuels are classified as follows for safety in handhng ... 

API Standard 2000, Venting Atmospheric and Low-Pressure Storage Tanks (Nonrefrigerated and Refrigerated), 5th ed. (Washington, DC American Petroleum Institute, 1998 and NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code (Quincy, MA National Fire Protection Association, 2000). 

NFPA 430 2000. Code for the Storage of Liquid and Solid Oxidizers, 2000 Edition. Quincy, Massachusetts National Fire Protection Association. 

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed several principal codes pertaining to the storage of flammable and combustible liquids ... 

Liquid and solid oxidizers are designated as Class 1, 2, 3, or 4 by NFPA 430, Code for the Storage of Liquid and Solid Oxidizers. Class 1 oxidizers are considered the least hazardous and Class 4 the most hazardous. The behavior of commercially available strengths of liquid and solid oxidizers under storage conditions is the basis for this classification system. This behavior includes fire hazard and reactivity. The acute and chronic health hazards as well as the environmental hazards of liquid and solid oxidizers are not addressed. 

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