Tankerman Person in Charge (PIC) Class Practice Test

A flame arrestor is used to stop a flame from traveling back through venting and piping systems in flammable-liquid operations. It works by presenting many narrow paths and metal surfaces that absorb heat and disrupt the flame front. As a flame reaches the arrestor, the heat is drawn away and the flame is cooled and thinned, making it unable to continue propagating beyond the device. This prevents ignition of vapors in the tank or upstream equipment if a flame is present in the line. It’s not meant to vent vapors, filter particulates, or regulate flow; its sole role is to arrest flame and stop ignition propagation.