Charter Schools are getting ready for in-person learning again and you are probably stocking up on hand sanitizer and other disinfectants for staff and students to use once they return to the classroom. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) should be readily available to those in your facilities. But you should also be aware that storing and dispensing ABHS includes careful attention to fire safety.
ABHS is classified as a flammable liquid. It evaporates and forms an ignitable vapor at room temperatures with a flashpoint of only 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The national standards for safe storage of ABHS and the placement and operation of dispensers are spelled out in the National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code 101.
"The Life Safety Code guides fire safety for hand sanitizer storage and dispensing."
The Life Safety Code specifies critical requirements you will need to follow to keep your people and property safe. There are additional details beyond the major points we can cover in this short article, including:
- Limitations of the quantity of ABHS you may keep in a building
- When you must have flammable liquid storage cabinets, sprinkler systems and spillage containment for ABHS storage
- Keeping sources of ignition away from ABHS
- Dispenser location and the amount a single dispenser may contain
- Minimum width of corridors where dispensers are placed
- Measures to prevent dispensers from releasing the product without activation and minimize accidental or malicious activation
Your local fire officials can help you stay in compliance for ABHS fire safety. Most charter schools only need to take simple steps to comply in the amounts typically needed. If you intend to store more than five gallons of ABHS on site, you will likely need to adhere to more complex standards.
Keenan recently conducted a webinar entitled Chemical Safety Amid COVID-19 covering current safety issues about the storage, handling and management of ABHS and other hazardous chemicals we are seeing more frequently since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. If you missed the live presentation, a recording is available here.
