Many of these products involved are presumed safe, as they are common household items. However, when combined with an ignition source, a fire can develop and spread quickly.
Flammable/Combustible Liquids Can Leave You HOT and FUMING!
According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) there were 1,318,500 fires in the United States resulting in $25.6 billion dollars of losses in 2018. Flammable/combustible liquids and their evaporating vapors are the third major contributing factor to these fires. Many of these products involved are presumed safe as they are common household items such as solvent-based paints, nail polish remover, various liquid cleaners, rubbing alcohol, etc. Flammable and combustible liquids burn intensively, and vapors can pool in low spaces with most being heavier than air. When combined with an ignition source a fire can develop and spread quickly. These fires can be extremely difficult to extinguish, which can result in loss of life and severe property damage.
There are many actions you can perform to prevent these unfavorable events. The most critical is to identify and separate flammable/combustible liquids from all heat or ignition sources. Examples of these sources include smoking, open flames, or facility heating sources, such as furnaces, radiant heaters, water heaters, etc. There are many additional effective controls including proper storage in approved flammable liquid storage cabinets, electrical controls with properly rated fixtures, spill containment consisting of curbing, bonding/grounding and ventilation. Don’t be left HOT and FUMING!
Learn more about flammable/combustible liquids at MyLossControlServices.com or contact your Nationwide Loss Control Representative.