Flammable and Combustible Liquids
Not all employees will need training in handling and storing flammable liquids, but make sure that any employee involved in storage, transfer, use or disposal of flammable liquids is trained to handle them safely and to follow your company's established procedure. Improper handling of flammables brings a great risk of fire. During storage, proper venting in the right vessels is of primary concern. During transfer, employees must watch for spills. When a flammable is spilled, vapors begin to form immediately. The vapors are the fire hazard, rather than the liquid. They continue to build until the liquid is removed, requiring cleanup operations to begin at once. When using a flammable liquid, workers should make sure they have transferred the liquid to an approved container and that it is in manageable quantities at the workstation. In addition, if your company receives, stores, or handles flammable and combustible liquids in storage tanks in areas that have the potential to flood, you need to have employees trained on emergency response procedures. Specify your company's spill cleanup procedures and supplies. You may want to cover this topic in more detail later on.