From the course: Occupational Safety and Health: Fire and Emergency Preparedness
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Flammable versus combustible
From the course: Occupational Safety and Health: Fire and Emergency Preparedness
Flammable versus combustible
- Let's continue the discussion on the physics of a fire by defining some terms that will help you understand the risk of different materials catching on fire. We already discussed the fire triangle, so you understand the concepts of fuel, heat, and oxygen being the three elements needed for a fire to burn. Now let's talk about flash point, ignition sources, and the definitions of flammable versus combustible. Flash point is the temperature at which a material forms an ignitable vapor. It's a really important concept to understand because a fire is really the result of the fuel being heated to the point where it gives off enough vapor to combine with the oxygen in the air to create an ignitable mixture. Let me give an example or two to explain that. The fuel itself doesn't ignite. Whether that fuel is gasoline or wood, it has to be heated to the point where it starts giving off enough vapor to form an ignitable gas. This is why heat is a part of the fire triangle. Without heat, the…
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