A list of best practices for loss prevention to help Ohio Mutual agent partners and members identify the most common hazards that Auto Service Garages face every day.
A UL or FM-listed waste receptacle (with self-closing lid) should be used to discard soiled shop rags in the service bays to reduce spontaneous combustion hazards. The receptacles should be emptied outside the building daily.
Parts cleaning should take place in a UL/FM-listed wash tank using Stoddard or a similar type of higher flash point solvent. The tank is required to have a self-closing lid utilizing a fusible link assembly.
All working drums of flammable liquids should be bonded and grounded to dissipate static electricity while they are being trans-filled to smaller containers, limited to a one-day's working supply. Empty drums of flammable liquids should be removed from the building as soon as practical to reduce the potential for vapor release into the building.
Utilize multi-drum cradles equipped with an overflow reservoir to assist in the storage and handling of industrial oils.
Place all non-standard gasoline containers (stored in the open or on shelves) in a UL/FM-listed flammable liquids storage cabinet to reduce fire hazards.
Safely store compressed gas cylinders by observing the following best practices from the American Welding Society.
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Upright and secure with a chain, strap, rack or cable to a stationary building support or to a proper cylinder cart.
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Completely close the valves, and keep the valve protection devices, such as caps or guards, securely in place.
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Store cylinders in a dry, well-ventilated area at least twenty feet from combustible materials
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Do not keep cylinders in lockers. If they leak, a buildup of flammable or other types of gases.
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Mark the storage area with proper precautionary signs, such as flammable, oxidizer, or toxic.
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Place them in a location away from vehicle traffic and where they will not be subject to mechanical or physical damage, heat, or electrical circuits to prevent possible explosion or fire.
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Store empty cylinders separate from full ones.
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Keep oxygen cylinders twenty feet away from fuel-gas cylinders, such as acetylene, or separate them with a noncombustible barrier (such as a wall) at least five feet high with a fire-resistance rating of at least one-half hour.
