Breeze Airways Indoctrination Practice Test

Oxygen acts as an accelerator for combustion. It isn’t flammable itself, but it makes fires ignite more easily and burn more vigorously if an ignition source is present. Keeping oxygen well away from potential ignition sources reduces the chance that a leak will meet a spark, flame, or heat source.

Ten feet is the minimum distance recommended here to minimize that risk, especially in environments with electrical devices like an AED that could produce a spark or heat. If you were closer than ten feet, a leak could more readily encounter an ignition source and start or intensify a fire. Going beyond ten feet would be more than necessary for this rule in this context, though it would still be safe.

So, the reason this distance matters is to maintain a safe buffer between oxygen and ignition sources, and ten feet is the standard minimum in this scenario.