Paint booths and paint spray booth systems are applications commonly used in the aerospace, industrial manufacturing, and finishing industries, among others. But, because paint processes involve flammable materials, certain care must be taken to prevent fires. In 2014, an explosion and fire at a restaurant furniture manufacturer in Heyburn, ID, demonstrated the potential dangers. Investigators […]
Flammable materials are a necessary part of many industrial and manufacturing processes. While precautions ensure the containment of these materials, there is always some risk of ignition. Procedures for hot work and maintenance tasks lower the risk of heat and sparks from reaching flammable vapors. But, what about the electrical equipment we use every day? […]
The NFPA classifies ethanol as a Class IB flammable liquid. Handle and store ethanol with great care. Ethanol usage as a biofuel additive for fuel has rapidly grown since the early 2000s. Trains transport large volumes of it across the country. Some of the biggest safety and environmental incidents involving ethanol occurred on the railways, […]
Maintaining mission readiness requires a logistics and storage system that works like clockwork. Both the U.S. Army and Navy need lithium batteries charged and ready for use in UAVs, AUVs and communication equipment. Fuel, oil, and solvents must be readily available for immediate servicing and repairs. Poor chemical storage facilities could compromise your fleet readiness […]
Built-in spill containment differentiate chemical storage buildings from other types of storage buildings. Every chemical storage building that houses liquid hazardous materials must have a liquid-tight containment sump built into its floor. There are two options for sumps. The first is a continuously-poured concrete curb construction integral to the concrete floor. The other is a […]
Chemical storage buildings safely store chemicals and flammable materials. Different types of buildings are available depending on the fire-rating and certification required. But, what happens when you need a larger square footage unit placed in a small footprint site? Modular storage buildings for chemicals offer a solution. Because chemical storage buildings are pre-fabricated in the […]
Hydrogen peroxide is a colorless and odorless liquid. Suppliers produce various concentrations depending on the application. The main use for hydrogen peroxide is as a bleaching agent for the textile and paper industry. Hydrogen peroxide is a corrosive chemical requiring care when handling and storing the product. The fact that it is a colorless liquid […]
The growth in craft beer brewing from 2013 to 2017 has been astronomical. There are over 5,300 craft breweries or microbreweries in the U.S. today, compared to less than 3,000 back in 2013. Many grew home brewing hobbies into full-fledged businesses. Transitioning a home brewing environment into a microbrewery requires scaling up. You need bigger […]
Acetophenone is a versatile organic compound used in many industries. Pure acetophenone is a colorless liquid. It occurs naturally in chicory but is manufactured commercially from ethyl-benzene. The distinctive characteristic of acetophenone is its slight floral odor – like that of an orange or an acacia. It is denser than water and the vapors are […]
University laboratories handle a wide range of chemicals for different courses and experiments. Flammable chemicals carry the risk of fire or explosion. Incorrect chemical storage practices are a common cause of incident. Flammable Chemicals and Refrigerator Storage reported three separate explosions in different university labs. All had the same root cause – storing flammable chemicals […]