ABRN: Safer Solvent StorageIf you've ever seen a body shop burn, you'll understand the need for ...Safer Solvent Storage July 1999Have you ever seen a body shop after a fire had its way with the
building? Concrete and steel structures are reduced to skeletons of sagging I-beams and
puddles of aluminum where air tools once lay on the floor. When a fire starts and the
flame reaches the solvents, look out.The best thing to do when a fire breaks out in a body shop is get out of
the building. Fast. However, the better course is to never have a fire in the first place.
Obviously the biggest fire threats in the shop are your solvents and paints. In an
environment in which volatile solvents are being sprayed on one end, and steel is being
cut and arc welded at the other, the potential for the two to meet is real. Needless to
say, once started, body shop fires spread fast.Arson investigations have shown that solvent-accelerated fires are
usually violent, but under certain circumstances they are short-lived. If one were to
ignite a building with a quantity of flammable liquid, the growth dynamics of the fire
would be intense. Depending on ambient temperatures and the elapsed time during the spread
of the fuel, there is a proportionate flash of flame when the fuel/air mixture ignites.
However, the fire can be limited by lack of oxygen. A 1,500-sq.-ft. room has only enough
air to allow complete combustion of roughly 10 gallons of flammable liquid. If the air
supply is limited and the oxygen is used up more quickly that it can be replaced, the fire
rate slows and in some cases stops completely.In a fire accelerated by solvents, the exhaust gases from the combustion
are produced so quickly that they may overwhelm the available ventilation. The blast of
gases causes pressures with enough force to shatter windows, move walls and even raise
roofs. Obviously, the risks to personnel in these situations are substantial. This is why
it is essential to store combustibles in approved, sturdy steel cabinets such as those
pictured in this article. Eventually, however, all flammable materials will reach ignition
temperatures if combustion is sustained. In such events, isolating your stored solvents
from the heat and ignition source becomes crucial.Accelerant fires tend to be localized and spread according to the
porosity of the flooring or substrate upon which the fuel is spread. Carpets and wood
floors in homes wick up the accelerants, thus prolonging the fire. But a sealed
epoxy-painted concrete floor will allow it to spread and feed flames faster. As the
ignited fuel/air mixture spreads quickly and turbulently throughout the room, the fire can
scorch all exposed surfaces and melt some low-temperature plastics, such as polyethylene.
Investigators have found that accelerated fires immediately burn all the cellulose-based
articles, such as wall calendar pages and office documents. After the initial ignition the
accelerant fuel burns in an extremely hot pool fire, but can be overwhelmed by the
ignition of secondary fuel sources, such as your customers' cars.As the building becomes--as firefighters say--"involved" in
flames, the presence of toxic vapors from the plastics used in auto interiors, office
furniture, and body materials becomes a factor. These items can burn at even higher
temperatures than solvents. Temperatures above urethane materials--such as a
mattress--have been measured a t 1,000-2,000