gfretwell Member posted 02-16-2005 12:23 PM
I am sorry about your friend but the hazard was the gasoline on the floor, not the lamp. Anything could have started that fire.
Greg
You are right of coarse but the principles of fire protection and burn injury prevention are that you can mitigate the fuel, the ignition source, or devise a reliable means to keep them separated. In an auto repair shop it is not logical to act on the idea that all fuel spills can be prevented. Since it is impractical to mitigate the fuel source and the mechanics must have light to work that leaves the ignition source as the only point were mitigation will be effective.
The code forbids the use of exposed incendive lighting in the area were gasoline vapors are likely to be. I've been in Fire and Rescue for over thirty years now and I have seen a few ignition sources that I never would have thought of as likely. In San Francisco, one foggy still night, a car with a damaged gas tank caused enough vapor to accumulate at the bottom of the hill it was sitting on to support the propogation of a back flash that ignited the leaking fuel at the car. The best guess as to the ignition source was the gas light eight feet above ground but four feet below the leaking car vertically.
Gasoline is some weird stuff. In still air it's vapors flow like water and will accumulate in any low spot to form a flammable fuel air mixture. The best answer is probably the use of non incendive rather than explosion proof lights. I do realize that the present code does not recognize that approach.
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Tom H
[This message has been edited by tdhorne (edited 02-16-2005).]
