Let’s say you are a project engineer for a defense contractor in the aerospace industry. You are building a high-tech space shuttle meant to travel extreme distances in space.

May 6, 2005:  Middleburg, FL A school resource officer was treated and released from the hospital for a concussion and bite wound to his hand that resulted from assaulted by an 18-year-old high school student who was trespassing, refused to leave school grounds, and resisted arrest. The suspect reportedly punched the officer in the face and knocked his radio from his hand as he tried to call for help after the officer fell.  The suspect reportedly punched and kicked him while he was on the ground.  The student left the area to go to another office and was subsequently arrested by the officer after the officer used a Taser on him.

Usually, it would take some kind of stimuli for flammable liquids to catch fire whether that be temperature or some kind of spark; however, there is something called “autoignition”.

In contrast, during a closed-cup flash point test, the vessel is sealed, and the ignition source is actually inside the vessel to closer simulate real-life situations (think of flammable liquid in a drum or fuel tank).

November 20, 2006:  Henderson, NV The father of a high school student became combative and was escorted off campus by school police and security personnel after coming to the school nurse’s office for his daughter.  The male threatened to return with a gun.  He came back with a knife and was arrested after breaking loose, hitting two officers, and being hit by a Taser from city police who also responded.

Flammablesolid

For example, ethyl ether has an autoignition temperature of 356°F (160°C) – a temperature that every household oven can reach.

It is important for parents and the general public to also realize that many police officers are not equipped at all with Tasers.  Many, if not most, school-based police officers are also not equipped with Tasers, especially if their respective law enforcement agencies have not so equipped their entire departments.  For those school-based officers who are equipped with a Taser, it is important for school and public officials to recognize that these officers are certified police officers who are equipped with the same tools as any other police officer in their department.

This list is by no means a complete list of all large-scale flammable liquids, but it does include some of the most commonly used flammable substances.

August 11, 2005: Orlando, FL A sheriff’s deputy twice stunned a 14-year-old female student with a Taser after the female reportedly went after her boyfriend with an 8-inch chopping knife and then turned on another deputy who directed her to stop.  The student was said to have had a note written on her school notebook reminding her to bring the knife and had reportedly told another student that she was going to kill her boyfriend with the knife.  She went after the boyfriend as soon as exited the school bus and before officials at the school for emotionally challenged students could conduct their weapons search.

Flammablematerials list

Source: “Tractor-trailer containing flammable chemical crashes and overturns on I-40 in Greensboro, NC”, Fox News, JUNE 17, 2019, North Carolina

NOTE: This is not to suggest that school districts can, should, or even could “negotiate” a separate and/or lower standard “use of force” policy by the police department for officers who are working in a school setting.  What we suggest is that school and police leaders discuss what policies and use-of-force continuum guidelines are in existence by the police department, how they may surface in various types of scenarios in a school setting, what supportive measures can be put in place in consideration that an officer may use a Taser on a student, how schools and police will issue joint communications on the incident to the media and community, etc.

Now that we know all about how flammable liquids are used and where, let’s take a look at some examples of the more widely used industrial-scale flammable liquids.

Top 10 mostflammableliquids list

*When a Category 4 flammable liquid is heated for use to within 30°F (16.7°C) of its flash point, it shall be handled in accordance with the requirements for a Category 3 liquid with a flash point at or above 100°F (37.8°C). When liquid with a flash point greater than 199.4°F (93°C) is heated for use to within 30°F (16.7°C) of its flash point, it shall be handled in accordance with the requirements for a Category 4 flammable liquid.

Today, we want to focus on flammable liquids on a larger scale and the particular industries that use them on a daily basis.

So not only did we create this great downloadable PDF of the chart below as a reference guide, but we also clear up any questions in this post >> Flammable Liquids Classes & Categories.

December 4, 2007: Colorado Springs, CO Students reported a suspicious man in the high school parking lot.  A school resource officer (SRO) attempted to question him but he refused to answer, drove off fast, and hit a tree.  The officer told him to turn off the car and he moved to the glove compartment, at which time the officer used a Taser on him.  A knife was found in the car.

October 5, 2005:  Sante Fe, NM A police officer used a Taser on a 16-year-old who reportedly fought with the officer and resisted arrest.  The student was examined at a local hospital. The incident occurred during a riot involving up to 200 students that became involved in a food fight which led to a riot at the high school around noon. The school was locked down for about two and one-half hours as parents had to respond to pick up students.

Flammableitems in kitchen

There are numerous methods of measuring a flash point, but for the most part, the methods are separated into two main categories: open-cup flash points and closed-cup flash points.

On a day-to-day basis, however, we strongly advise that school officers take a very, very conservative approach to the use of Tasers in a school setting. The use of such a device, or even the displaying of such a device in a crowd of students, will likely draw a great deal of emotional and political responses in a school community.  School-based officers should consider all options before using a Taser on a student, including what they would have done in a similar situation in the past before they were trained and equipped with a Taser, and if that course of action is an option in lieu of using the Taser on a student.

*When a Category 3 liquid with a flash point at or above 100°F (37.8°C) is heated for use to within 30°F (16.7°C) of its flash point, it shall be handled in accordance with the requirements for a Category 3 liquid with a flash point below 100°F (37.8°C).

Unfortunately, inappropriate uses of Tasers such as those described above generally reflect situations involving poor individual judgment. Fortunately, they do not characterize the vast majority of police officers carrying Tasers on the streets and in our schools.  While one inappropriate use is one too many, caution should be exercised to not characterize all police officers carrying Tasers in the category of those making poor judgments in anecdotal cases that capture high-profile media and public attention.

Many of the materials and supplies that go into this project could include fuel, paint, solvents, cleaners, etc. – many of which are flammable liquids. You might need Xylene (a solvent), for example, to regularly clean your equipment.

If you have any of the above flammable liquids in your facilities it is very important that you are aware of them and absolutely follow all of the OSHA and NFPA guidelines for handling, storage, and transportation, not only to remain audit complaint but also for you and your employees’ safety and good health.

We recommend that age and developmental stages be given serious consideration in discussions between law enforcement officers and educators about using Tasers in school settings with all children, particularly younger children. We acknowledge, however, that there could be life and death situations, and situations with threats of serious harm, where a Taser may be a necessary option and a better alternative than the use of a firearm. While such situations are rare, society must acknowledge that they can and do occur.

SOURCE: https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and tools/Hazardous-Materials/Fires-Starting-with-Flammable-Gas-or-Flammable-or-Combustible-Liquid

All content on this website is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of the consultation or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Chemical Strategies, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. You use all information at your own risk.

One supportive measure that could be incorporated into procedures, for example, is to take to the hospital any student upon who a Taser has been used in school prior to the student being booked/processed by police.  Another procedure could focus on protocols for the joint release of information on the incident to parents and the media by the school district and police department.

Keep in mind that because closed-cup flash points are conducted in a controlled and sealed vessel, the flash point is likely to be at a lower temperature than during an open-cup test.

4) What if a Taser is used on a “special needs” student or one who has a known or unknown medical condition (heart problems, for example)?

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. municipal fire departments respond to an estimated average of 160,910 fires per year that start due to the ignition of a flammable or combustible liquid; 105,520 (65%) of which started at non-residential properties.

A handful of anecdotal incidents have occurred which suggest questionable judgment in the use of Tasers by a very few officers on juveniles. These range from Tasers being used on younger children for situations not life threatening to use on several students who asked to be voluntarily jolted by a Taser and an officer complied with the request.  In one case, a Taser’s electrical current was reportedly zapped by an officer standing behind a student sleeping in a class for the purpose of waking up the student.

Highlyflammableexamples

5) How will school and police officials handle the school-community relations aspect of an officer using a Taser on a student?

The temperature of the substance is raised, and an ignition source is placed over the top of the vessel, waiting for ignition.

Think of it this way – in order to auto ignite, it would be like tossing a container of flammable liquid into a giant wildfire – extremely high temperatures and something you would never do intentionally.

Substances like Xylene have the potential to catch fire in transit – say the fuel tanker was in a highway accident, just like this truck hauling Xylene did in North Carolina on June 17, 2019.

All flammable liquids fall into four distinct categories (courtesy of OSHA) based on their closed-cup flash point and their boiling point (the temperature at which the liquid starts to boil).

Note: The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) has a very different definition of a flammable liquid and even more different classification system. We break down OSHA and NFPF’s definitions in this post about flammable liquid classes and categories so there is no confusion.

Mostflammableliquids list

It is amazing just how many materials and products go into creating the “final shelf products” that we use every day, and flammable liquids are absolutely one of those production materials.

In order to measure a flash point, scientists in a controlled environment have to introduce an ignition source to the substance, increase the substance’s temperature, and wait for the “flash”.

Flammable liquids are defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as any liquid having a closed-cup flash point at or below 200°F (93°C).

Now that we have covered how we find out if a liquid is flammable, let’s discuss the different flammable liquid classifications and their different flash point ranges.

Flammableliquids examples

Flammable liquids are very common, especially in our industry, and today we will be covering what are flammable liquids, how and why they can catch fire, the different classifications, and a few examples of highly used industrial flammable liquids.

It occurs when flammable liquids are exposed to extremely high temperatures and at that point, no spark is needed for the vapors to catch on fire.

Flammablechemicals list pdf

September 26, 2005: Charlotte, NC A police officer reportedly used a Taser on a 17-year-old male high school student who allegedly slapped an assistant principal in the face, resisted arrest, and told the officer he was not going to jail and not going anywhere.  This incident followed a separate, unrelated incident on September 23rd where an officer used a Taser on a student at a different high school when the student allegedly assaulted an assistant principal, hit a police officer, and started swinging her belt with a large metal buckle.

Fortunately, most school-based police officers have long understood the seriousness of “weapons retention” issues because of their having a firearm in large groups of students.  The vast majority of school-based police officers are highly sensitive to the need for caution, consideration, and conservatism in the use of Tasers or firearms in a school setting. School-based officers are also typically better experienced, trained, and skilled in dealing with students and large groups of juveniles than the regular “street officer” who has not had a daily exposure to school settings.

When bringing up the different flammable liquid classes, we always get the question, “How would they light on fire in the real world”?

Autoignition is when a substance reaches a certain temperature at which it self-ignites without any obvious sources of ignition, such as a spark or flame.

October 27, 2005:  Huntersville, NC Lunchtime fights resulted in seven students taken to the hospital and 15 arrested, with police officers using Tasers on two students involved in the fights. At least one of the students on which the Taser was used had reportedly pushed a police officer and refused to stop after the officer arrested her brother.

August 19, 2005:  Tampa, FL A 39-year-old mother and her 16-year-old son were charged with felony offenses for allegedly assaulting a school police officer at a high school.  Reports indicate that family had been attempting to register the 16-year-old at high school all week, although he had been suspended from school since last school year.  School officials referred the family to a high school closer to their home when the male reportedly “body checked” the officer, almost knocking him to the ground.  The officer, while arresting the student, was allegedly attacked by the mother and the son.  The suspect’s other brother, age 22, reportedly started to also attack the officer but was stopped by a security officer.  The police officer reportedly pulled a Taser and the two ceased the attack, at which time all three family members were arrested.

It is also important to know exactly what classes of flammable liquids you have in your facilities as they have different handling and storage procedures.

1) What policies, procedures, and/or joint memoranda of understanding are in place with the law enforcement agency and the school district regarding use of force issues followed by the police department which could surface in use of force by school-based police officers?

The flash point of a liquid is the lowest temperature at which the liquid gives off enough vapor to be ignited at the surface of the liquid. Did you catch that? It’s actually the vapor the liquid gives off that burns, not the liquid itself, which is a common misconception.

If you are involved in the Aerospace, Semiconductor, R&D, Solar, or Microchip manufacturing industries – chances are you come across flammable liquids on a daily basis.

We do not believe the school district should attempt to “negotiate” a lower-standard of police use-of-force policy in reaction to high-profile, emotional, and/or political considerations in the school-community. 2) What research and data exists on the use of Tasers specifically on juvenile-aged offenders versus adult offenders?