INFLAMMABLE ADHESIVES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29179, 13 April 1960, Page 14

INFLAMMABLE ADHESIVES

Warning On Use Near Stoves

(New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER, April 12. The use and hazards of inflammable adhesives and solvents in confined spaces were mentioned at a meeting of the Napier United Fire Authority by the chief fire officer, Mr T. L. Turner. A recent fatal accident had occurred as a result of such an explosion, he said. The sequence of events in this case was not unusual. Rubber tiles were being laid on the floor of a kitchen where there was a lighted solid fuel cooker. The adhesive in use consisted of rubber in a solvent, mostly petroleum spirit. The vapour was drawn in through the draught control of the cooker and was ignited. The four persons present were severely burned and one died three weeks later. Mr Turner said that in this instance the label on the tin of adhesive included the words “not to be exposed near a flame’’ but the word “near” gave no indication of just how far away a source of ignition had to be in order to avoid an explosion. Cases were known where distances of up to 40ft had separated the sources of vapour and ignition.