Flammable Liquids
Flammable liquids can be anything from petrol that you store for use in museum machinery and ethanol for preserving specimens in jars, to general-purpose cleaners and maintenance liquids.
Propanol, methanol, white spirit, turpentine, and even acetic acid, are all flammable liquids.
Why are they a hazard we need to think about?
Flammable liquids can cause fires and explosions, the consequences of which are not only dangerous, but, in museums, catastrophic.
Flammable liquids themselves do not burn. It’s the mixture of their vapours and the air that burns. That is why nearly-empty bottles or containers of flammable liquids are in some ways more dangerous than full bottles – they are full of vapour that is released when you open the lid.
What might they look like?
Flammable liquids in their original containers are required by law to have a “flammable liquid” label. This looks like the image below, but sometimes flammable liquids are poured into other containers that are not labelled. If you think something is flammable, it is always best to treat it as such. If your collection has historic containers of flammable liquids, they may not have the “flammable liquid” label, but should still be treated as if they do.
Where might we find flammable liquids?
Many museums have specimens stored in jars, and these contain ethanol. Your museum or gallery may also have a storeroom with all your cleaning products, many of which will be flammable.
Additionally, you may have a laboratory facility that will probably contain flammable liquids, such as acetone.
What does the law say about flammable liquids?
According to the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, Regulation 212(ii), when it comes to substances with flammable properties you have to:
A) Reduce the likelihood of an intended fire or explosion
B) Control the adverse effects of any fire or explosion
You can help to achieve this by storing your flammable liquids separately in a flammable goods cabinet. Ideally, only store the minimum amount that you require.
What do museums, galleries, libraries, and archives have to do if they have flammable liquids?
Institutions are also required to have an inventory of all their flammable liquids, stating their location and amount.
Follow this link to see a H&S-compliant inventory that is easy to use: (resources 5.5- amend when spreadsheet is done)
How can institutions manage flammable liquids in their collections?
In your organisation’s H & S plan, you could have a flammable liquids section that:
- Identifies your flammable liquids
- Assesses the risks from your flammable liquids
- Has processes for accidents, incident, emergencies, and disposal of flammable liquids
- Documents staff training
- Contains a review section, to document the plan’s effectiveness
If museums wish to dispose of flammable liquids, how can they do this safely?
If you wish to dispose of any flammable liquids, contact a WorkSafe-accredited company or the friendly Collections team at Tūhura Otago Museum for advice.
WorkSafe encourages PCBUs to use the services of consultants who are listed on the HASANZ Register.
Tips for managing flammable liquids
- Store only what you need
- Keep flammables separate
- Ideally keep them locked
- Have a chemical spill kit that can cope with your volumes
- Store away from Class 4s and 5s (these are flammable solids and oxidisers, such as hydrogen peroxide)
Sources and references
All the information above can be found on the following websites:
