• Fuel tanks of all sizes are used to transport the potentially dangerous substance.tanker truck image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com
  
  Fuel is highly flammable and often highly detrimental to the environment. For this reason, government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation have created a set of regulations. These regulations ensure that all manufacturers produce fuel containment systems that contain and allow for the transport of fuel in a safe manner.
  
  

Placards

• Because of the inherent hazards of transporting fuel, fuel tanks that are used to transport any liquid or gaseous fuel within the United States must carry a hazardous material placard defining what kind of fuel is being transported. According to the Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Compliance, the placard "must be displayed on orange panels placed on each side and end of a cargo tank of 1,000 gallon capacity or more, or on each side for tanks less than 1,000 gallon capacity." Vehicles transporting more than one fuel substance must present a placard displaying the fuel with the lowest flash point. This display ensures that no one will smoke or work with high temperatures near the transport tank if it stands a chance of exploding or catching fire.
  
  

Home Containers

• Home gas containers used to transport small amounts of fuel for use with lawn mowers and generators are subject to laws designed to protect children. This legislation mandates that the Consumer Product Safety Commission demand child-resistant portable gasoline containers. This means a child-proof cap that closes completely and does not allow for significant evaporation that could cause burns if a child were to play with fire near the container.
  
  

No Spill

• Many states, including California and Connecticut, have introduced the "No Spill" law for gas cans. This law, designed to limit pollution and prevent accidents at gas stations and in the home, requires that all gas cans used to transport fuel have spill-proof technology that prevents fuel escape in the event of the can being dropped or jostled. These laws apply not to the citizen, but to the corporation manufacturing the gas cans. This allows the individual who has purchased a gas can in the past to use the same gas can for as long as it lasts. Future gas cans produced for sale within these states must be produced to the new "Spill Proof" standard which phases out non-spill proof gas cans eventually.
  
  

Government Review

• States such as California require that all fuel containers be reviewed by a government board to determine the safety and viability of the fuel container before it can be used to transport fuel within the state. This ensures that all fuel containers sold in the state meet a required safety standard before they can reach the public.