NFPA Sign for Diesel Fuel #2 1-2-0.
Is diesel fuel a hazardous substance?
Daniel: A query about reportable quantities was recently posed to me. They wanted to know what the reportable quantity for diesel fuel and gasoline was. So I proceeded to Table 1 of the Hazardous Materials Compliance Pocketbook, but there was nothing there about fuel. They claim it’s 10 gallons, but according to the internet, it’s 25 gallons, but it doesn’t assist me as much as the HAZMAT/Safety man around here, and you always seem to know that sort of thing. Could you perhaps explain why it isn’t in there? The Hazardous Materials Table lists it under flammables.
I’m sure I’m missing something or am on the wrong route, because I have no idea where to go from here.
- The hazardous substances table does not list gasoline or diesel fuel by name (appendix A to 49 CFR 172.101). As a result, those hazardous materials aren’t classified as hazardous chemicals.
- Note that the Hazardous Materials Compliance Pocketbook is an excellent source of knowledge, however it is a JJ Keller-produced and-sold guidance document. It is not intended to be a replacement for the Hazardous Materials Regulations.
- Components of both diesel fuel (e.g., naphthalene) and gasoline (e.g., benzene) are included in the hazardous substances table by name and may be dangerous by themselves or in other solutions.
Petroleum, including crude oil or any percentage thereof, that is not otherwise specifically specified or recognized as a hazardous substance in appendix A to this subchapter’s 172.101, and natural gas, natural gas liquids, liquefied natural gas, or synthetic gas useable for fuel are not included (or mixtures of natural gas and such synthetic gas).
- Gasoline and diesel fuel are both regarded as, “…petroleum, comprising crude oil and derivatives…” Neither are they, “…a dangerous drug that has been specifically listed or designated…” As a result, regardless of their composition or quantity, neither can be considered a reportable quantity of a dangerous material.
- In most circumstances, gasoline and diesel fuel will meet the criteria for a Class 3 Flammable (gasoline) or Combustible (diesel fuel) liquid, as listed in column 2 of the Hazardous Materials Table. As a result, both gasoline and diesel fuel are typically considered hazardous materials.
- At 49 CFR 171.8, the word “hazardous material” is also defined. It says there that a hazardous substance is included in the term hazardous material.
- To summarize, neither gasoline nor diesel fuel are dangerous substances, but both will most certainly become hazardous materials in the future.
- I believe the claims of an RQ of 10 lbs or 25 lbs are based on other regulations (such as the Clean Water Act) or other agencies’ threshold reporting quantities (perhaps state agencies have established threshold quantities that require reporting in the event of a release). Regardless, the Hazardous Materials Rules (HMR) of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT/PHMSA) are unaffected by those other regulations.
What does the NFPA diamond tell you?
The technique employs a four-quadrant color-coded diamond, with numbers in the upper three quadrants indicating the degree of health danger (blue), flammability hazard (red), and reactivity hazard (green) (yellow). This approach does not detect long-term health risks.
How much diesel fuel can you haul without a hazmat?
In fact, everyone here is spreading false information. If diesel fuel is transported in non-bulk form, it is free from hazardous restrictions (less that 119 gallon containers). If diesel fuel is transported in non-bulk form, there is no limit to the number of gallons that can be transported. See 49CFR 173.150 for more information (f).
Is LFL and LEL the same?
The lowest concentration (%) of a gas or vapor in air capable of causing a flash of fire in the presence of an ignition source is known as the lower flammability limit (LFL) (arc, flame, heat). Many safety professionals regard the word to be synonymous with the lower explosive level (LEL). Gas mixtures are “too lean” to burn at concentrations in air lower than the LFL. The LFL of methane gas is 4.4 percent. Even if a source of ignition is present, an explosion cannot occur if the atmosphere contains less than 4.4 percent methane. The LEL concentration is regarded Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) from a health and safety standpoint, as there is no more stringent exposure limit for the flammable gas.
LFL concentrations should not be confused with percentage readings on combustible air sensors. Explosimeters calibrated to a certain gas can reveal the atmosphere’s relative concentration to the LFL (the LFL being 100 percent). For example, a 5% displayed LFL reading for methane is similar to 5% multiplied by 4.4 percent, or approximately 0.22 percent methane by volume at 20 degrees C. The explosion threat is normally controlled by providing enough natural or mechanical ventilation to keep flammable gases or vapors at a maximum concentration of 25% of their lower explosive or flammable limit.
What is the volatility of diesel?
the answer (By Examveda Team) The 90 percent distillation temperature, or when 90% of the sample oil has distilled off, indicates the volatility of diesel fuel oil. The ease with which a fuel vaporizes is referred to as volatility. It has an impact on how easy it is to start, warm up, and drive your car.
Are diesel vapors flammable?
When diesel vapors come into contact with air, they can ignite and explode. Over a wide range of vapor-to-air mixtures, the vapors are explosive. The lower explosive limit is less than 1%, whereas the highest explosive limit is approximately 10%.
