Is My Gas Can Safe? What Happened In the parking lot of a dealership in southern California, an individual was rinsing cars with DI water using pressure washer equipment located on the back of a pickup truck. The pressure washer had a gasoline-powered motor. During the course of rinsing, the gasoline level went low. The operator got a can full of gasoline and started pouring gasoline into the gasoline tank on the pressure washer while the motor was running. A fireball and explosion resulted. The gasoline spilled on the plastic bed of the pickup truck, and the flames quickly melted the plastic. Surprisingly, the operator suffered minimal injuries, and there were no damages beyond the pressure washer equipment and bed of the pickup truck. The General Manager noted that years of safety training and preparedness paid off. Employees trained by CSI responded quickly with fire extinguishers and put out the fire. The fire could have seriously harmed the operator and expanded beyond the truck. Safety training in both handling and storage of flammable materials and emergency response is paramount to avoid such types of accidents. Gas Can The maintenance and operation of gasoline tanks, both aboveground and underground, has become expensive, highly regulated, and burdensome. Automobile dealers have resorted to gas dolly equipment where a small amount of gasoline can be added to each new automobile delivered to the dealership. We note that automobiles delivered to dealerships from manufacturers have very small amounts of gasoline; this being a result of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, which dictate that minimal amounts of gasoline be retained in gas tanks of vehicles in transport. This memo briefly discusses the DOT, OSHA, and CARB regulations applicable to the gas can used to transport from a public gasoline station to dealerships to later fill in automobiles on the lot. Federal DOT Regulations Gasoline transport is discussed in Section 173.6 of the DOT regulations under “material of transport exceptions.” The least burdensome regulations require that a container being used to transport gasoline must be less than eight gallons per container and a maximum of 72 total gallons (440 pounds) on the vehicle. At this level, only a regular driver’s license is needed, and no placarding is required for the vehicle. Driver training must include Hazard Communication Program (29 CFR 1910.1200) and DOT Materials of Trade training. Transport of gasoline in the amount greater than listed above increases the regulatory burden. (https://www.nwcg.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pms442.pdf and http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title49-vol2/pdf/CFR2011-title49-vol2-sec173-6.pdf) Safety Safety concerns for gasoline containers are as follows: • Properly labeled container with hazard warnings. Wear eye protection and nitrile gloves. • The containers must be secured in the vehicle. • Containers UL certified. • Containers must be closed to minimize the risk of spills and creating a fire hazard. By Celly Services, Inc. 18 San Diego Dealer
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