Prevention of Fire, Protection of Property and Assets and Business Interruption
Flammable Liquids and Gases

• The quantity of flammable liquids should be kept to a minimum.
• Smoking should be prohibited and suitable signs should be displayed.
• Housekeeping should be of a high standard.
• Any waste materials such as used cleaning rags should be kept in metal bins with close fitting metal lids and should be removed at the end of the working day.
• Waste flammable liquids should not be mixed and should be kept in clearly marked closed tanks.
• Suitable fire extinguishing appliances should be provided.
• The workroom should be well ventilated.
• Container lids should always be replaced after use.
• Drip trays should be provided to contain spillages during dispensing and decanting.

• Proprietary metal cabinets or bins capable of containing leaks should be provided for storage of flammable liquids in the workroom. These should display appropriate warning signs.
• Dedicated storerooms should be provided for quantities over 50 litres.
• Flammable liquids stores should be detached, non-combustible buildings and should not be sited closer than 4m to any other building unless enclosing walls are fire resisting.
• Stores should have adequate ventilation.
• Any electrical equipment should be suitable for use in flammable atmospheres.
• Flammable liquids stores within buildings should be separated from the rest of the building by fire resisting construction. One wall should be an external wall and access to the room should be direct from open air.
• Flammable and combustible liquids stored in bulk tanks (e.g. diesel oil) should be bunded.  Further detail can be found on the Oil and Chemical Storage page.
• Flammable liquids should not be dispensed within the store.

Precautions that apply to the storage and handling of flammable gases are as follows:

• Cylinders should, be stored in the open air, but should be shielded from direct sunlight and rain.
• Flammable gas cylinders and oxygen cylinders should not be stored together.
• There should be suitable separation between open air storage and buildings.
• Combustible materials should not be permitted and grass or other vegetation should not encroach on the store.
• Suitable warning notices should be displayed.
• The number of cylinders in the workplace should be kept to the minimum and they should be stored in well ventilated areas.
• Empty cylinders should be removed from the workplace as soon as possible.
• LPG should never be stored in areas below ground level.
• Smoking should be prohibited wherever flammable gas cylinders are stored.
• Acetylene should not be stored within buildings.