The Ultimate Guide to Gas Safety Cans for Landscaping Businesses

Buying a gas can for business isn't as easy as it once was with multiple government agencies telling us how we need to conduct business. EPA, OSHA, and the Department of Transportation all have a say in what kind of containers we're allowed to use or transport fuel in. We all know we need to have that extra gas on board to power mowers, weed whips, and even our construction equipment. Exactly what do we need to know about what is called in today's terms as safety cans and better known by its older name gas cans?

First, let's start off with the basics: can color. Each color of the can is designated for a certain type of fuel. Red is gasoline, yellow is diesel fuel, blue is kerosene (careful because blue can also designate water), and green is for flammable oil, but it's also commonly used for mix oil. But most of us use a red can and a Sharpie. Black is general purpose; any kind of fuel can go in it. This system is probably one of the best-known safeguards from putting the wrong type of fuel in your machines. This is also used for safety in the event of a spillage in an emergency when you may have to clear an area. Emergency crews can know what is inside without having to check with someone else. Putting the proper fuel in the proper design color designation is required by OSHA and CARB. For those in California, doing this is important to protect your equipment. Even though all safety cans can safely hold all types of fuel, I have been a part of an organization where someone put diesel in a red can, and a different person put it in the gas mower, and the tech had to do a field call, literally, it was stuck in a field.

First, let's get started with the EPA and CARB regulations all safety cans need to abide by in the United States. The EPA mandates that safety cans must be completely sealed, cannot vent when in use. It also requires an automatic shut-off for the can. Most companies do this with a spring compression system. To be able to pour out the gas, you know, that thing that you hate the most about safety cans. If a safety can only has EPA CARB certification, it is not a container we should be using for the occupational business setting. Those regulations, they fall under OSHA. OSHA requires safety cans to have a spring-closed lid, a spout cover, cannot be over 5 gallons, release pressure in the event of fire exposure, and has a flash arresting screen. OSHA also is the body that requires color coding of fuels. You will not find an OSHA certification on any particular gas can as OSHA doesn't have a testing body. Some of the approved testing certifications that hold up to OSHA standards are but not limited to FM and UL listed. However, UL classified is not approved. OSHA and Department of Transportation, or DOT. OSHA just worries about the storage and use of the safety cans for safe occupational transportation. They refer to the US Department of Transportation.

The Department of Transportation has a whole different layer of regulations. How do you know if you're required a DOT certified can? It's actually pretty simple. If either through federal or state regulations your truck requires a US Department of Transportation number, you are required to have a DOT-approved can when transporting fuel. DOT regulations vary from OSHA requirements. However, OSHA has allowed for DOT cans to be used in the occupational setting as long as they fulfill the requirement of 5 gallons or less. DOT regulations allow for up to 8 gallons. Most 5 gallons or less safety cans that are DOT approved also have all the safeguards that are required by OSHA. DOT has the most stringent guidelines, and the easiest way to know if a safety can is DOT approved is to see if the can has a DOT-approved marking on it. DOT also has materials of trade or M that the lawn care professionals fall under that allows for less stringent guidelines. One of the nice things about DOT cans is the not-tip-over function required and not-leak feature needed in every can so that it can be turned upside down and not leak. Is your head spinning yet? Well, let me make it go even crazier. Every state has their own laws governing the use and transportation of safety cans in that state, so you will still have to look up the regulations in your own state. If that doesn't make you want to switch to battery, I don't know what will.

There are two major types of cans, a Type 1 can that has one opening to fill and to empty, and a Type 2 safety can that has two openings, one to fill and one to empty. OSHA does not have requirements for types of cans, but DOT requires a Type 2 can. There are two major brands going for your business in the professional space, Eagle and SureCan. Eagle is known for their steel cans, so if you want a steel can, Eagle is probably the way to go. If you're looking for the most value for your dollar, SureCan is probably the way to go. There's an Eagle can that can be purchased for about $60 from Home Depot that is FM certification that makes it OSHA approved. However, it is not DOT approved. The SureCan is available at Ace Hardware and on their webpage around $60 for the 5-gallon. Both these brands that I'm discussing and the cans I'm discussing are about the same price point. Eagle does carry more expensive DOT cans. The SureCan has FM certification, and the SureCan website says that the cans with the yellow bands are not DOT certified, but the black caps are. The black caps are the older version. As of the making of this video, I did reach out to SureCan, and they have said that this can with the yellow bands are now officially DOT approved. All SureCans are OSHA and DOT approved. They just need to update their frequently asked questions on their webpage. You can contact the company if your can doesn't say DOT approved, and they can send you a sticker because let's face it, if you have a DOT stop, the officer is looking for the information on the can and not that it adheres to every part of the regulation. They may turn the can upside down, but that's pretty much as far as it will go.

A couple of DOT regulations that work well for any space is that the can can be turned upside down and not leak, and that it will stay upright when full. If it hits a sharp gray, one telltale sign that you're looking at a DOT approved can is rollover protection. The spout needs to be protected from a rollover. This typically results in large B bars that are seen on top of steel cans. This is how Eagle accomplishes it. A 5-gallon DOT safety can by Eagle will typically run over $300. SureCan does this with their $60 can by lowering the spouts below the grab handle. SureCan has become the lawn and landscape and tree industry norm, primarily because of their outreach to the industry and the overall cost versus the government agency approvals that come with it. There are many companies that have developed trailer racks for the SureCan that allow you to refill without even removing the can from the rack.

Now that we've discussed the best cans to use, let's discuss the cans you don't want to use. The racing cans, you just don't use those unless you're on a racetrack. I mean, any government agency at any capacity can nail you for the use of one of those cans. They have zero certifications on them. NATO style cans, these are also commonly used but should be gone through to make sure that they have the proper approvals. Most inexpensive NATO or Jerry cans, as they're also known, won't even cover EPA requirements. Now, the most common are the Midwest, Scepter, and Briggs and Stratton safety cans. Not only are these cans a bigger pain, they don't follow OSHA requirements. They cover EPA requirements but are intended for homeowner use. If you are a solo operator that is starting out their business and that's what you have sitting in your garage, you can always go with them as long as you are solo. If you're looking to grow and at some point hire an employee, you're going to want to look at some point at upgrading to an OSHA approved can. The OSHA approved cans are typically easier to use. It's also one last thing that you have to worry about when making sure that your workplace is OSHA compliant when you hire that first employee. One of the purposes of this video is that there's an organization that looks pretty official that claims to be a safety guru on safety cans telling you that these types of cans are OSHA approved. They are not. If you go through the actual OSHA documentations, they don't hold up to all the guidelines required by OSHA. This is just a small snapshot to help you get started on safety cans for your business. You want to be sure when you're replacing old cans that you have the right ones according to your local and required regulations. Doing so can save you from a very large fine or maybe even worse.