Glossary

BLEVE; Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion

Violent, explosive vaporization resulting from the rupture of a tank containing a liquid at a temperature significantly higher than its normal boiling point at atmospheric pressure.

LEL (Lower Explosive Limit); LFL (Low Flammability Limit)

Minimum airborne concentration required to ignite a product. Thus 100% LEL means 100% of this concentration, 50% LEL 50% of this concentration, etc.

LC50 % ; Lethal Concentration 50 %.

Minimum concentration estimated to cause the death of 50% (respectively 1%) of a population sample. This concentration is always associated with a duration of exposure.

Fireball or cloud fire; Flash fire

Inflammation of a cloud of flammable gas in an...