SPIRIT LAMP SAFETY

1. The stove must be placed on a firm level surface, at least two metres away from flammable items/tents, in a place where it cannot be knocked over.
2. Fill the stove from a small container, never from a bulk container such as a one gallon can or plastic container. (It is permissible to sell methylated spirits in a plastic container).
3. The spirit must be carried in bottles specifically designed for the purpose which have a screw top and a safety valve. These should normally be around half a litre in capacity and the stoves should be filled from these bottles. Trangia fuel bottles with safety valves are good to use as these will prevent a full bottle fire. 
4. Fuel should not be handled near tents or any naked flames; it is good practice to have a ‘re-fuelling’ area where fuel is handled away from the designated cooking area. 
5. One person should carry the stove or the spirit cup downwind, away from the tents and it should be fuelled, or refuelled, in a place where there are no naked flames in the vicinity. 
6. Take great care when re-fuelling the stove, make sure that the flame is completely extinguished (the flame can be invisible, especially in sunlight) and the stove/burner has cooled before removing the burner to re-fill it (take the burner to the fuel, not the fuel to the burner). Remove the pan and carefully place a hand over the spirit cup or hold the corner of a sheet of paper just above the burner. This will indicate if the burner is still lit. The burner should be taken to the fuel, not the fuel to the burner (if the burner is cool enough to pick up it won’t still be alight). 
7. If it is necessary to refill a burner, assume it is still burning. Go through the normal procedure of putting the burner lid over the flame to extinguish. Wait until the burner has gone cold before refilling.