Propane autogas safety tips
With this month’s focus on the autogas market, I wanted to provide you with some safety features related to autogas.
If you service autogas vehicles, you should be aware that the National Fire Protection Association provides a set of guidelines to consider when garaging autogas vehicles. You should also become familiar with the requirements for facility design to ensure a safe work environment.
- The autogas vehicle must have a leak-free fuel system.
- The fuel container shut-off valve must be closed during service or repair.
Other considerations are:
- Ventilation: Proper garage ventilation helps disperse any potential propane fumes effectively.
- Clear signage: Displaying clear signage indicates to personnel and emergency responders the presence of propane vehicles.
By following these straightforward guidelines, we can ensure propane autogas vehicles’ safe and efficient garaging.
We know propane autogas is a safe and reliable fuel, which is proven through the thousands of autogas vehicles in use across the United States. It is also sought by fleet operators looking for an alternative fuel solution that is safe and eco-friendly.
Let’s look at some features of autogas:
- Lower flammability range than conventional gasoline
- Odorized for easy detection
- Environmentally friendly with the lowest carbon intensity score of any other fuel
- Nontoxic and presents no hazards to soil and groundwater
The fuel systems for autogas products optimize autogas’s use with low environmental impact. They are designed and engineered with safety features, including pressure relief valves, shut-off valves that detect fuel line ruptures, and overfill prevention devices (OPD).
Autogas containers:
- Are equipped with safety devices that prevent overfilling
- Are constructed from carbon steel
- Are 20 times more puncture resistant
- Can withstand more pressure than a gasoline tank
Autogas dispensing stations are similar to gasoline or diesel fueling stations in appearance, but they have essential differences.
- They are closed, pressurized systems to keep propane in its liquid state.
- The dispensing nozzle must be connected to the container before fueling.
- Ensure the connection type: low-emissions quick connect (K15) or screw-on 1¾ in. ACME.
- The OPD will automatically close the flow when the tank is full.
Autogas dispensing stations should have operating and filling instructions and emergency shutdown instructions. Any uncontrolled release can be extremely hazardous, and ensuring clear instructions and signage is essential.
In the case of an uncontrolled release, steps to remember are:
- Take action – evacuate the area.
- Be aware of your surroundings – shut down the dispenser, if possible.
- Get help – Call for help after you have evacuated to a safe place.
- When help arrives, do not interfere with emergency responders.
When filling an autogas vehicle using an autogas dispenser, remember these steps:
- Prepare – Park on level ground, turn off the ignition, confirm the vehicle’s fuel type is propane, inspect the filling connection to ensure a safe filling area and discharge any static electricity by touching a grounded object.
- Connect – Remove the fill cap or open the access door, inspect the fill valve, attach the appropriate adapter, if required, and connect the nozzle.
- Fill – Turn on the dispenser, open the nozzle and wait for the OPD to stop the flow automatically.
- Shutdown – Turn off the dispenser, close the nozzle, disconnect the nozzle, store the hose, disconnect the adapter, if applicable, check for leaks, reinstall the cap and/or close the access door.
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has many resources available to assist propane marketers on fleet garaging requirements and obtaining training on various topics. One of these resources is a program called Dispensing Propane Safely: Dispensing Autogas.
This and other programs can be accessed online, at no cost, through PERC’s Learning Center.
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Randy Warner is product safety manager for Cavagna North America. He can be reached at randywarner@us.cavagnagroup.com.
NOTE: The opinions and viewpoints expressed herein are solely the author’s and should in no way be interpreted as those of LP Gas magazine or any of its staff members.