Pennsylvania Code
Title 34 - LABOR AND INDUSTRY
Part I - Department of Labor and Industry
Chapter 14 - FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS; PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 14.1 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 38, September 21, 2024

The following words and terms, when used in this subpart, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

API-The American Petroleum Institute.

ASA-American Standard Code.

ASTM-American Standards for Testing and Materials.

Act-The act of April 27, 1927 (P. L. 450, No. 291) (35 P. S. §§ 1181-1194).

Aircraft service station-That portion of a property where flammable or combustible liquids used as aircraft fuel are stored or dispensed from fixed equipment and including all facilities essential thereto.

Apartment house-A building or that portion of a building containing more than two units.

Approved-Acceptance by the fire marshal of design, equipment, installation or intended use as required by this subpart.

Automotive service station-That portion of a property where flammable or combustable liquids used as motor fuels are stored and dispensed from fixed equipment into the fuel tanks of motor vehicles.

Barrel-A volume of 42 U. S. gallons.

Boiling point-The boiling point of a liquid at a pressure of 14.7 psig. Where an accurate boiling point is unavailable for the material in question, or for mixtures which do not have a constant boiling point, for purposes of this classification the initial point of a distillation performed in accordance with the ASTM standard method of test for distillation of petroleum products may be accepted in lieu of the boiling point of the liquid.

Boilover-The expulsion of crude oil from a burning tank. The light fractions of the crude oil burn off, producing a heat wave in the residue, which on reaching a water strata may result in the expulsion of a portion of the contents of the tank in the form of a froth.

Bulk plant-That portion of a property where flammable or combustible liquids are received by tank vessel, pipe line, tank car or tank vehicle, and are stored or blended in bulk for the purpose of distributing the liquids by tank vessel, pipe line, tank car, tank vehicle or container.

Centralized fuel oil distribution system-A system of piping, by which oil is supplied from a separate central supply tank or tanks to one or more buildings, mobile homes, travel trailers or other structures.

Closed container-A container so sealed by means of a lid or other device that neither liquid nor vapor will escape from it at ordinary temperatures.

Combustible liquid-A liquid having a flash point at or above 100°F and below 200°F.

Commercial or industrial establishment-A place wherein the storage, handling or use of flammable or combustible liquids is incidental to but is not the principal business or process.

Container-Any vessel of 60 U. S. gallons or less capacity; used for transporting or storing flammable or combustible liquids. A container shall be made of metal, or be of approved nonmetallic construction.

Crude petroleum-Hydrocarbon mixtures that have a flash point below 150°F and which have not been processed in a refinery.

DOT-The Department of Transportation of the Commonwealth.

Fire and Panic Act-The act of April 27, 1927 (P. L. 465, No. 299) (35 P. S. §§ 1221-1235).

Fire marshal-Director of the Pennsylvania State Police, Fire Marshal Division.

Flammable liquid-A liquid having a flash point below 100°F and having a vapor pressure not exceeding 40 pounds per square inch absolute at 100°F; such liquids shall be known as class I liquid.

Flash point-The flash point of the liquid shall mean the temperature at which the liquid gives off vapor sufficient to form an ignitable mixture with the air near the surface of the liquid or within the vessel used as determined by the following tests procedure and apparatus:

GPM-Gallons per minute.

Inflammable-Flammable.

Liquid-When not otherwise identified, both flammable and combustible liquids.

Listed-Devices and materials that have been investigated by and meet the listing requirements of a nationally recognized testing agency. The equipment shall be identifiable by means of a label or other distinguishing marking specified in listings published by the testing agency.

Marine service station-That portion of a property where flammable or combustible liquids used as motor fuels are stored and dispensed from fixed equipment on shore, piers, wharves, barges or floating docks into the fuel tanks of motor craft, including all facilities used in that connection.

Nationally recognized testing laboratory-Includes:

NEC-National Electrical Code.

Oil burner-A nonportable device for burning oil in heating appliances such as boilers, furnaces, water heaters, ranges and the like. A burner of this type may be furnished with or without a primary safety control; and it may be a pressure atomizing gun type, a horizontal or vertical rotary type, or a mechanical or natural draft vaporizing type.

Psig-Pounds per square inch gauge.

Person-This term shall include individuals, partnerships, corporations or associations.

Process area-That location where flammable or combustible liquids are processed, or stored as a part of current production, and may include working storage.

Processing plant-That portion of a property in which flammable or combustible liquids are mixed, heated, separated or otherwise processed as the principal business.

Refinery-A plant in which flammable or combustible liquids are produced on a commercial scale from crude petroleum, natural gasoline or other hydrocarbon sources.

Safety can-An approved container of not more than 5 gallons capacity, having a spring closing lid and spout cover, and so designed that it will safely relieve internal pressure when subject to fire exposure.

Self-service stations-That portion of property where flammable or combustible liquids used as motor fuels are stored, and subsequently dispensed from fixed equipment into the fuel tanks of motor vehicles by persons other than the service station attendant.

Special mobile equipment-Vehicles not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property and only incidentally operated or moved over a highway including, but not limited to: ditch digging apparatus, well boring apparatus; earth moving and road construction and maintenance machinery, such as asphalt spreaders, bituminous mixers, bucket loaders, snowplows, ditchers, graders, finishing machines, road rollers, scarifiers, earth moving carryalls, scrapers, power shovels and drag lines; and self-propelled cranes and tractors, other than truck tractors. The term does not include house trailers, dump trucks, truck-mounted transit mixers, cranes or shovels; or other vehicles designed for the transportation of persons or property to which machinery has been attached.

Tank (atmospheric)-A storage tank which has been designed to operate at pressures from atmospheric through 1/2 psig.

Tank (low pressure)-A storage tank which has been designed to operate at pressures above 1/2 psig but not more than 15 psig.

Tank (storage)-A tank which is not connected to the oil burning appliance.

Tank (supply)-A tank connected directly, or by a pump to the oil burning appliance.

Tank vehicle-A vehicle, other than railroad tank cars and boats, whether self propelled or without motive power, used for the transportation of flammable or combustible liquids in cargo tanks having a liquid capacity in excess of 100 gallons mounted on the vehicle or built as an integral part thereof.

Unstable (reactive) liquid-A liquid which in the pure state or as commercially produced or transported will vigorously polymerize, decompose, condense or will become self-reactive under conditions of shock, pressure or temperature.

Vapor pressure-The pressure, measured in pounds per square inch absolute exerted by a volatile liquid as determined by the Reid standard method of test for vapor pressure of petroleum products.

Ventilation-As specified in this subpart, this term pertains to the prevention of fire and explosion. It is considered adequate if it is sufficient to prevent accumulation of significant quantities of vapor-air mixtures in concentration over 1/4 of the lower flammable limit.