Flammable materials are those that ignite more easily than other materials, whereas those that

are harder to ignite or burn less vigorously are combustible.

Combustible material
Many solids, liquids and gases can catch fire and burn. It only takes a source of ignition, which may
be a small flame or an electrical spark, together with air. Preventive actions that can be taken include:

 Quantity: fire risk can be reduced by controlling the amount of combustible material in the work
area until it is needed;
 Flammability: it may be possible to specify materials that are less combustible. Remember that
when worked on, materials may become more easily ignited eg solids turned to dust or crumb;
 Storage: combustible materials should ideally be stored outside buildings under construction,
especially volatile materials eg LPG. Internal storage must be planned and located where it will not
put workers at risk;
 Rubbish: good housekeeping and site tidiness are important to prevent fire and to ensure that
emergency routes do not become obstructed;
 Volatile flammable materials: extra precautions are needed for flammable liquids, gases and
oxygen cylinders especially when internally stored;
 Coverings and sheeting: protective coverings and scaffold sheeting may add to fire risk. This can
be reduced by use of flame retardant materials;
 LPG: liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is widely used in construction eg in connection with bitumen
boilers and site accommodation. LPG has been involved in many serious fires and explosions,
particularly where there have been leaks in confined areas. Strict precautions are required where
LPG is stored and used; and
 Tanks and services: demolition projects can involve an increased risk of fire and explosion.
Dismantling of tank structures may cause ignition of flammable residues or disruption and ignition of
buried gas services.

Combustible materials can be found as solids or liquids

Combustible solids have the capability of igniting and burning. Examples include wood and paper.

Combustible liquids have a flashpoint at or above 100 degrees F but below 200 degrees F. This definition
does not include mixtures containing one or more components with a flashpoint at or above 200 degrees F.
This group of liquids can also be identified by class.( The flash point of a volatile material is the
lowest temperature at which vapours of the material will ignite, when given an ignition source.)

Class II liquids have flashpoints at or above 100 degrees F and below 140 degrees F,

Class IIIA liquids have flashpoints at or above 140 degree F and below 200 degree F, and
Class IIIB liquids have flashpoints at or above 200 degree F. Examples include diesel fuel, kerosene, oil-
based paints and furniture polish.

Fire Prevention

Fire prevention requires segregating the three elements of the fire triangle. In practice, a method to
achieve that goal is to post—and enforce—nosmoking signs around flammable liquids and gases and
have fire watches on all work involving torch-applied materials of a minimum of two hours after the
last torch is turned off.

Flammable and Combustible Liquids Proper storage and handling of flammable and combustible
liquids will help prevent fires from occurring; only approved, closed containers for storage of
flammable or combustible liquids may be used under OSHA rules. Such containers include safety
cans or containers approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation. A safety can is a container
that has a selfclosing lid, internal-pressure relief and flame arrestor with a capacity of not more than
5 gallons. Inexpensive, plastic cans without those features previously mentioned, such as those
typically bought at hardware stores or gas stations, are not approved for use in roofing operations.
However, manufacturers do sell plastic containers that meet the OSHA requirements for safety cans.

Flammable liquids that are extremely viscous, or difficult to pour, like singleply adhesive, can be left
in their original shipping containers. Similarly, OSHA allows the use of original containers of
flammable liquids that are in quantities of one gallon or less.

Static electricity may be generated when transferring liquids, gases or solids through pipes or hoses.
It is important to dissipate this electric charge when handling flammable and combustible materials.
When transferring flammable or combustible liquids from one container to another, the two
containers must be “bonded” together. The bonding process involves attaching a wire with alligator
clips on each end to both containers. The clips must penetrate

the container coating and touch metal. You may need to score the paint with the alligator clips. To
dissipate static, the container receiving the liquid must be in contact with the ground and not
insulated from contact with the ground. For example, plastic or composite pickup truck bed liners
prevent the flow of static electricity to ground because the liner does not conduct electricity. The
receptacle container must have a clear path to ground, by direct contact or use of a grounding strap
or wire, to effectively eliminate static.
Service or fueling areas at job sites must have a 20BC-rated fire extinguisher within 75 feet of each
pump.

Safety cabinets allow for greater quantities of flammable and combustible liquids to be stored safely
inside buildings. Up to 60 gallons of a flammable liquid or as much as 120 gallons of a combustible
liquid may be stored indoors in a safety cabinet. Each cabinet must be labeled “Flammable— Keep
Fire Away.” Up to three cabinets may be stored in one room. Without a safety cabinet, only 25
gallons of either flammable or combustible liquids are allowed to be stored inside a building.

Flammable and combustible materials are present in all of our environments. Workplaces,
public venues, and our homes are filled with flammable and combustible materials. Without the
proper controls in place for these items, it is more likely that fires may occur in your facility--and
any fires that do occur will develop more quickly and be more difficult to contain and control.

Combustible Materials
Combustible materials in our facilities can contribute to the start and growth of a fire. The
amount, type, and form of combustibles make a significant difference in how much of a
challenge they present. The more finely divided the combustible material, the easier it is to
ignite. At the extreme end, very finely divided materials suspended in air may explode
under some circumstances. Most people have seen news reports covering grain storage
facility explosions; many other dusts and finely divided particles also present this hazard.
Even a simple issue such as housekeeping is critical to fire prevention. This often looks like
a boring, unimportant item, but it is not. How well or poorly we control the general
combustibles that tend to accumulate in our facilities can make a big difference during a
fire. Pallets are an excellent example; how you manage your pallets can have a large impact
on the amount of combustible materials in your facility. Large stacks of pallets in the main
area of your facility invite a large, rapidly developing fire.

Combustible metals are a specialized area. For operations that do use these materials, special
precautions are essential, particularly if the metals are being processed in some way. Machining
operations that generate fine particles or shavings in the presence of heat are especially prone
to fire. Some combustible metals also may be reactive, which magnifies the risks.
Combustible and noncombustible refer to the performance of a material (e.g., wood, stucco,
steel). Fire-resistant can refer to a material or an assembly (e.g., all the component s in a
wall – siding, insulation, and sheathing products). An example of a roof assembly is given in
Figure 1. Ignition resistant can refer to a material or an assembly (e.g., when discussing
ignition resistant construction). Definitions of these terms have been developed by a number
of groups and are provided in Appendix A.

How the Terms are Used

Combustible
Combustible materials are those that readily ignite and burn. Many common
construction materials are combustible, including wood and wood-plastic composite
and plastic products (commonly used for decking and siding). A number of tests have
been developed that evaluate the fire performance of combustible materials. With
regard to wildfire, two properties are helpful in characterizing the relative
combustibility of different materials – flame spread index and heat release rate.
The flame spread rating of a material is determined by subjecting material placed in a
horizontal tunnel to a gas flame (Figure 2). A combustible material will be rated as Class
A, Class B, or Class C based on its performance in this test. A material rated as Class A
would have a lower flame spread, and therefore a better performance rating, than a
Class C material. The results of the flame spread test results in a numeric rating. If the
numeric value is less than 25, then a Class A flame spread index is assigned. Numeric
values for Class B are between 25 and 75. Values above 75 fall into the Class C category.
Most commercial wood species have a flame spread index between 90 and 160 (Forest
Products Laboratory, 1999).
Another method used for comparing the combustibility of materials is to evaluate the
heat release rate. This can be done by measuring the mass (weight) loss of a burning
material or by measuring the total and/or rate of energy released while a material is
burning. The heat release rates have been published for common construction
materials, and are one of the criteria some materials must meet to comply with Chapter
7A of the California Building Code (CBC). Chapter 7A provides the requirements for new
construction in California’s designated wildfire prone areas. The heat release rate of a
material is determined by collecting the gases of combustion (oxygen, carbon dioxide
and carbon monoxide) in an oxygen depletion calorimeter. The heat of combustion per
unit mass of oxygen consumed is nearly constant for a wide range of materials
(Quintiere 1998) and therefore the heat release rate of a material (HHR) is directly
proportional to the rate at which oxygen is consumed during combustion. To measure
the HRR of assemblies and larger-component sections, they are burned under a large
hood that is tied into an air collection system (Figure 3). The heat release rate of small
samples can be measured in a smaller calorimeter called a Cone Calorimeter. Smaller
values of heat release rate reflect lower combustibility than larger values. Chapter 7A of
the CBC specifies a maximum net peak heat release of (no more than) 25 kW/ft2 [269
kW/m2] for deck boards. For comparison, the HHR for a large juniper bush can be as
high as one 1000 kW. Decking products that comply with the CBC can be found in an on-
line document published by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM 2010).

Figure 2. A horizontal, or “Steiner”, tunnel used to evaluate the flame spread rating of a material. The
material is attached to the upper surface of the tunnel and is rated on the distance the flame travels down
the length of the tunnel, on the exposed surface of the material. The duration of this test is 10 minutes.
Photograph courtesy of Mr. Bill Hendricks, Safer Building Solutions and Southwest Research Institute, San
Antonio, Texas.

The flame spread rating and heat release rate of materials have been used to
characterize combustible materials. This information is becoming available for
materials commonly used on the outside of buildings, and is being used to compare
performance of combustible construction materials. The range of numeric values for
Class C flame spread is large. You won’t know if the numeric value of the Class C product
you may be considering is close to the Class B upper limit of 75, or much higher.
Information about the net peak heat release rate for decking products complying with
the CBC can be used if the product is sold in California and isn’t otherwise classified as
noncombustible. Unless you have access to the test report results, however, you will
only know that the heat release rate was less than 25 kW/ft2 [269 kW/m2].
Combustible materials support Combustion process. Some of the combustible materials from
kitchen are: wood, coal, paper, LPG, plastic boxes, charcoal, kerosene oil, coke, straws, tissue papers.
Some of the non-combustible materials from kitchen are: steel utensils, stone board, knife, scissors
metal articles, wax, water, iron nail, Bakelite plastics available as handles for pressure cooker. etc
COMBUSTIBILITY AND FLAMMABILITY • COMBUSTIBILITY IS THE ABILITY OF A MATERIAL
TO BURN • FLAMMABILITY IS THE ABILITY OF THE MATERIAL TO IGNITE OR CATCH FIRE
EASILY