This is a quick summary check list provided by Glen Carter, Chief Technical Officer, Justrite Manufacturing Co. to identify common safety violations found in facilities using flammable fuels, solvents or chemicals.
1. Look Around.
Are flammable, combustible and hazardous liquids stored in open containers? All hazardous liquids should be stored in functionally closed containers with adequately closing lids. Ensure faulty or damaged containers are replaced. 
2. Industry best practice.
Industry best practice and to meet OSHA regulation, flammables and combustible liquids should be stored in a safety can. Current safety cans that are in service should be inspected to ensure the lids operate and close effectively, a flame arrestor is present, and that they do not leak. Replace faulty safety cans
3. What do you do with your fuel soaked rags?
Fuel soaked rags can present a real fire hazard if they are not discarded in approved containers. Also make sure at the end of a shift or the end of a day the safety container is moved outside the building.
4. Do you have other combustible waste in open or overflowing containers?
Replace non compliant containers with UL and FM approved waste receptacles. This is vital to your operations fire prevention plan.
5. Are your flammable, combustible or hazardous drums on a spill protection pallet?
Dependant on where you store your drums, you can pick a spill pallet for inside or external use:- - For indoor applications, choose a polyethylene or metal spill pallet. Base this decision on chemical compatibility - For outdoor spill pallets, you may wish to chose a covered spill pallet which offers both protection for the liquid/environment, but it also protects the sump from overflow due to rain as required by a responsible spill prevention plan.
6. Do your drums have a vent?
Drum storage of flammable and combustible liquids should include a safety drum vent on each drum to ensure OSHA compliance. FM-Approved safety drum vents provide emergency pressure venting in the event of a fire and the vacuum relief required for dispensing operations or to prevent the drum crushing in the event of sudden cooling.
7. Do you have a self closing faucet for dispensing operations?
If you need to dispense flammable and combustible liquids from a horizontal drum through a faucet, you need an FM-approved self-closing valve (required by OSHA) 8. Are you storing your DG goods safely, close at hand? FM-Approved flammable safety cabinets help organise flammable and combustible liquids, increase the volume of these materials that can be stored in an area and provide a margin of safe egress from an area by personnel in the event of a fire. Replace existing safety cabinets if the doors do not open correctly, are not sequentially self closing or if the cabinet has been modified (eg. holes drilled in the cabinet).
Checkout Justrite's extensive range of chemical and flammable goods storage cabinetsAll the best and keep safe.
Bonus video for those who don't believe in the use of correct storage containers and correct grounding : https://youtu.be/1tYO4jvnJHw
