Chemical Storage Containers: Workplace Necessities

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Business )



Chemicals can be classified into toxic and nontoxic. There are also hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals. Non-toxic and non-hazardous chemicals may be stored in shelves. Of course these would still have to be properly labeled for easier identification. However, toxic and hazardous chemicals need to be stored in specially designed chemical storage containers and systematically organized in chemical storage cabinets.

Chemicals which are deemed health and building hazards need to be treated with special care. These chemicals, such as sulfuric acid, may combust and cause an explosion when exposed to direct sunlight. This poses grave threats to people that use this chemical in the workplace. Sulfuric acid and other hazardous chemicals can also be ingested when careful handling and storage are neglected. There is therefore a need for chemical storage containers and hazardous chemical storage cabinets or hazardous chemical storage tanks.

Chemical storage containers have to be combustion proof, fire-proof and explosion proof. That is, these chemical storage containers must not be made of just any metal. In the case of sulfuric acid storage containers or cabinets, the metal chemical storage tank may react with sulfuric acid to release an explosive and flammable gas like hydrogen. Thus, chemical storage containers used for sulfuric acid storage have to be coated with a material resistant or non-reactive to sulfuric acid. Factories that use sulfuric acid, therefore, cannot merely place sulfuric acid in plain metal drums.

After storing chemicals in chemical storage cabinets designed specifically for hazardous chemical storage, the workplace safety department must provide a second layer of defense to spontaneous combustion and explosion by placing these chemical storage containers and chemical storage tanks in well-ventilated explosion-proof chemical cabinets. This way, when a leak occurs in any of the chemical storage containers, there remains a deterrent mechanism against a full blown explosion which can mean untold number of casualties and lost revenues.

It is grossly preferable if the chemical storage cabinets containing chemical storage containers and chemical storage tanks are placed outside where there is less risk to people and workplace equipments. If you want, you can rent space from a chemical storage company that specializes in renting out chemical cabinets and chemical storage tanks. This means that you won’t have to store your chemical storage containers in your own work space so you can minimize the risk to your employees and facilities further. Of course, outsourcing your hazardous chemical storage needs means extra cost and some inconvenience because you need to drive over to your chemical storage facility when you need to use your chemicals.


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