The thing that makes gasoline so hazardous is that it has a flash point of -40F, versus ~140F for diesel fuel, kerosene, or stoddard solvent (which should be the go-to for parts cleaning if you're going to use a hydrocarbon product.)
We did tons of things in the old days that would get you in trouble with OSHA, or whatever. Like using a cutting torch in a tunnel under the sidewalk of a gas station to cut and plug a leaking water line.
