Danger from Ignition Sources in Laboratories/Workshops - Mobile Phones

30. (2002)

A research or teaching laboratory has many potential health and safety hazards. Some of these are obvious and some not so. Ignition sources are a potential concern when flammable liquids or gases are used or stored in a laboratory or workshop. It only requires a fuel source, ignition source and air to create a potential fire or explosion with devastating results.

Common sources of ignition include —

• Flames, such as from Bunsen burners, loop flamers, glass sealing torches, gas welding
• Electrical equipment with sparking components (motor, thermostats, relays, switches etc)
• Very hot surfaces (which can cause ignition when hotter than a substances auto ignition point. For example; oven elements, hot plates, radio frequency coils)

Equipment in the laboratory should ideally be intrinsically safe (i.e. they do have any of the sources of ignition indicated above). Additional information can be found in Australian Standard 2381, electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres, or the Workshop or Flammable liquid safety course notes (/Training_and_Development/OHS_Training/Advanced_Courses/index.asp).

It should be notes that personal mobile phones may act as a source of ignition, as they are not intrinsically safe. Mobile phones should therefore not be kept on personnel or in the hazardous areas of laboratories, workshops, chemical storerooms or other places flammable gases or liquids may be stored or used.

For further information contact:
OHS Officer, e-mail: OHS.Officer@anu.edu.au