To minimize risk of fire due to static discharge, it is imperative that nonconductive materials of construction are used for the storage and transfer of flammables.

To minimize risk of fire due to static discharge, it is imperative that nonconductive materials of construction are used for the storage and transfer of flammables.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only under certain conditions
• D. Depends on material

Answer: (B)

Static electricity can ignite flammable vapors, so getting rid of static charge is essential when storing and transferring flammables. Nonconductive materials trap charges because they don’t allow electrons to flow to ground, so friction or movement can build up a static charge on those surfaces. A spark could jump from the surface into the vapor cloud and cause ignition. The safer, standard practice is to use conductive equipment or materials that are designed to be static-dissipative and to ensure they are properly grounded or bonded during transfer so any charge is quickly carried away to ground. Some static-dissipative plastics exist, but they must have a reliable grounding path to be safe; without grounding, they’re just as risky as other insulators. So the statement isn’t correct because the priority is dissipating charge through grounding, not relying on nonconductive construction.

Static electricity can ignite flammable vapors, so getting rid of static charge is essential when storing and transferring flammables. Nonconductive materials trap charges because they don’t allow electrons to flow to ground, so friction or movement can build up a static charge on those surfaces. A spark could jump from the surface into the vapor cloud and cause ignition. The safer, standard practice is to use conductive equipment or materials that are designed to be static-dissipative and to ensure they are properly grounded or bonded during transfer so any charge is quickly carried away to ground. Some static-dissipative plastics exist, but they must have a reliable grounding path to be safe; without grounding, they’re just as risky as other insulators. So the statement isn’t correct because the priority is dissipating charge through grounding, not relying on nonconductive construction.