Can flammable liquids be stored in plastic containers?
Flammable liquids must be kept in covered containers when not actually in use, and only approved containers and portable tanks may be used. This can mean DOT-approved shipping containers or containers “listed and labeled” with an approval from a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL). OSHA’s Flammable and Combustible Liquids Standard, 29 CFR 1910.106, spells out the requirements for flammable liquid containers at 1910.106(d)(2)(i) and also in Table H-12, which describes an approved metal safety can. An OSHA letter of interpretation dated 8/26/1996 says that plastic fuel cans may be used in some cases. It would, therefore, be a de minimus violation to store flammable liquids, like gasoline, in plastic containers that are DOT-approved but have a capacity of five gallons or less. OSHA determined that this storage method would pose very little hazard and still meet the basic intent of the standard. Do flammable liquid storage cabinets have to be vented? OSHA says nothing about exh
