Safety information for bulk storage

LPG is stored as a liquid under pressure. It is almost colourless and weighs approximately half that of an equivalent volume of water.

LPG vapour is denser than air: butane is about twice as heavy as air and propane about one and a half times as heavy as air. Consequently, LPG vapour may flow along the ground and into drains, sinking to the lowest level of the surroundings and be ignited at a considerable distance from the source of leakage. In still air, vapour will disperse slowly.

LPG can form a flammable mixture when mixed with air. The flammable range at ambient temperature and pressure extends between approximately 2% of the vapour in air at its lower limit and approximately 10% of the vapour in air at its upper limit. Within this range there is a risk of ignition. Outside this range any mixture is either too weak or too rich to propagate flame. However, over-rich mixtures can become hazardous when diluted with air and will also burn at the interface with air.
At pressures greater than atmospheric, the upper limit of flammability is increased but this increase with pressure is not linear.

Escape of even small quantities of liquid LPG can give rise to large volumes of vapour/air mixture and thus cause considerable hazard. A suitably calibrated gas detector may be used for testing the concentration of LPG in air. A NAKED FLAME SHOULD NEVER BE USED TO SEARCH FOR A LEAK.

At very high concentrations in air, LPG vapour is anaesthetic and subsequently an asphyxiant by diluting or decreasing the available oxygen.

Commercial LPG is normally odorised before distribution by the addition of an odorant, such as ethyl mercaptan, to enable detection by smell of the gas at concentrations down to one-fifth of the lower limit of flammability. However, in certain cases where the odorant may be detrimental to a process (for example in aerosol applications) the LPG is not odorised.

Escape of LPG may be noticeable other than by smell. When the liquid evaporates, the cooling effect on the surrounding air causes condensation and even freezing of water vapour in the air. This effect may show itself as frost at the point of escape and thus make it easier to detect an escape of LPG. Because the refractive index of LPG differs from air, leaks can sometimes be seen as a ‘shimmering’.

Because of its rapid vaporisation and consequent lowering of temperature, LPG, particularly liquid, can cause severe frost burns if brought into contact with the skin. Personal protective equipment (e.g. hand and eye protection) should be worn if this hazard is likely to occur.

A container which has held LPG and is ‘empty’ may still contain LPG in vapour form and is thus potentially dangerous. In this state the internal pressure is approximately atmospheric. If a valve is leaking or is left open, air can diffuse into the container forming a flammable mixture and creating a risk of explosion. Alternatively, LPG can diffuse to the atmosphere.