Health

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• Health Safety at Work
• Hazards from Aerosols

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Objective

• To understand the hazards associated with aerosol
  products.
• Understand how to control these hazards in the
  workplace.
• Safe aerosol handling.

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Fire triangle
HEAT SOURCE
FUEL SUPPLY
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Hazards
EXPLOSIONS
FIRE
MISSILES
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Hazardous Material

• Liquid Petroleum Gas as propellant
• Product base possibly alcohol or similar
  flammable liquid.

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Flashpoint

• The lowest temperature of a liquid at which
  the vapour given of forms a flammable mixture
  with oxygen in the air

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Auto - Ignition

• Temperature required to cause ignition of
  flammable liquids / vapours.
• Typically greater than 400 degrees C.
• Generally in open conditions (workplace)
  temperatures required for auto-ignition are much
  higher.

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Pressurised Containers

• Propellant provides about 3 bar pressure in cans.
• Vapour pressure increases if temperature of can
  contents increase.
• Cans typically designed to survive 16 bar
  pressure.
• At 70 80 degrees pressure will cause cans to
  burst.
• Top / bottom of can distorts first.
• Tin plate cans top / bottom flies off
  missiles.
• Aluminium cans usually split on body.

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Behaviour of cans In fire

• Fire around can heats contents very quickly.
• Internal pressure rises.
• Can distorts.
• Can bursts.
• Flammable contents instantaneously released.
• Fireball created.
• Can fragments ejected as missiles.

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The aftermath!
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Total Devastation!
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Basic Principles Of Safety

• The fundamental safety philosophy which ensures
  that an item of equipment can be operated, or an
  operation performed, in a safe manner with risks
  that area as low as practicable

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Basis of safety

• Preventive measures i.e. prevention of the
  initiation of fire or explosion.
• Protective measures i.e. acceptance that a fire
  or explosion can arise but aim to control the
  consequences.
• Decision is based on Risk versus Likelihood and
  Consequences.

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Preventive Measures

• Avoidance of flammable atmospheres
• (So no hazard, or else flammable volume
  insufficient to be an explosion hazard)
• Elimination of ignition sources

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Protective Measures

• Extinguishment of fires.
• Containment / control of fires.
• Containment of explosion.
• Explosion suppression.
• Explosion venting.

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Consider this!!

• Wrapped packs of cans on pallets, in racking or
  on the floor.
• Pallets moved by Mechanical Handling Equipment or
  by automated systems.
• What are the potential fire hazards?

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Fire Hazards

• Ignition of leak from aerosols
• (propellant or product base)
• Ignition of packaging material.
• Fire on MHE.
• Fire in battery charging area.

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• Are there any potential explosion risks?

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Explosion Hazards

• Cans spontaneously bursting
• Faulty products
• Cans overheated in storage
• Cans releasing propellant to form flammable
  atmospheres
• Leaking cans taken into storage
• Cans damaged during handling

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Ignition Sources (Generic)

• Naked flames
• Electrical sparks
• Impact sparks
• Static electricity
• Hot surfaces

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Ignition Sources (Specific)

• Sparks or hot surfaces from fixed electrical
  equipment.
• Sparks or hot surfaces from MHE or cranes.
• Sparks from an impact involving MHE or crane e.g.
  forks hitting nail in a pallet.
• Static electricity.
• Hot work
• Smokers material

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BEWARE!
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Fire Protection
AVOID CAUSING CANS TO LEAK

• Care when mechanical handling.
• Care when stacking pallets on racks.
• Minimum exposure to high temperature.

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Fire Protection
IDENTIFYING LEAKING CANS

• Wet Packs.
• Smells of perfume.
• MHE accidents / fallen pallets.
• Checks before moving pallets.
• Manual checks on individual cans.
• Loading and unloading wrapping machines.

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Fire Protection
IF / WHEN LEAKING CANS ARE FOUND

• Remove to outdoor reject bin / cage
• Remove pallets to outside before breaking.
• Do not move pallet with electric MHE use hand
  pallet truck.

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Fire Protection

• IF A PALLET CONTAINING AEROSOLS IS DROPPED OR HIT
  BY MHE
• Immediately STOP!
• Switch off MHE.
• Identify leaking cans and remove by hand.

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REMEMBER!

• Aerosols are perfectly safe IF handled with care.
• Safe working practices and adherence to safe
  working systems are essential.
• Do not take risks!
• If you are unsure about any situation then cease
  work, turn off MHE and seek guidance.

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WORK SAFELY ALWAYS!

• Report all accidents, incidents and near misses
  immediately.
• Ensure your colleagues are also working safely
  and not taking unnecessary risks.
• Do not allow the pressure of work to force you to
  take short cuts.