How to Guarantee Safe Chemical and Solvent Storage

How to Guarantee Safe Chemical and Solvent Storage

Wednesday 12 April

If your business stores chemicals and solvents in a hazardous area, it’s crucial that the handling and storage of these substances are in line with COSHH regulations. COSHH is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health and the law is in place to protect employees in businesses sector-wide. Some of the common substances in question that must adhere to COSHH includes:

- Chemicals and products containing chemicals
- Fumes
- Dust
- Vapours and mists
- Gases and asphyxiating gases

We’ve put together a number of tips that will help you stay compliant if these substances are stored in your hazardous areas:

Never Store Incompatible Chemicals Together

To prevent the risk of a violent reaction, incompatible chemicals should always be stored separately in secure storage. Some examples of common chemicals that should never be kept together include:

- Chlorine cannot be mixed with ammonia, acetylene, benzene, butadiene, hydrogen, any petroleum gases, sodium carbide, or turpentine
- Acetone cannot be mixed with bromine, chlorine, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, or hydrogen peroxide
- Iodine cannot be mixed with acetylene, ammonia, or hydrogen

If in doubt, consult the safety data sheet for the specific chemical provided by its supplier, which will give you more information on the chemical and its nature. 

Ensure Storage Methods are Secure

The location and sturdiness of your storage methods are important, and although some measures may seem obvious, they’re all in place to prevent spillages and reactions which can be particularly dangerous in hazardous areas.

Firstly, the location of your solvents and chemicals should be easily accessible; specifically breakable containers should always be placed below shoulder height. 

If your substances are on shelving it’s important to never overload shelves and where corrosives are concerned, they should be kept on spill trays.

The positioning of your storage is also significant, never store chemicals under the sink in case it leaks and with flammable chemicals ensure that their storage methods are fire-resistant.  

Provide Adequate Ventilation

Ventilation is imperative to adequate storage, as it gives any potential vapours or fumes the chance to disperse safely without negatively impacting employees. The correct ventilation methods depend on the type of substance that is being stored.

For example, for flammable chemicals which create potentially combustible environments, ATEX explosion proof ventilation should be implemented. These systems are manufactured using non-sparking materials reducing the risk of ignition.

Similarly, corrosive chemicals need to feature a ventilation system that has corrosive-resistant blades. There is no one size fits all when it comes to chemical and solvent storage ventilation as the complex make-up of each chemical and the risks they hold must be assessed. 

Get a Professional Risk Assessment

Most importantly, a thorough risk assessment is an ultimate step in guaranteeing safety. This assessment should include identifying hazards, judging who might be at risk of harm and how, and then deciding on the necessary precautions. 

It can be quite complex to carry out your own COSHH assessment, so turning to a professional will give you the ultimate peace of mind that you are keeping your employees safe and your business compliant.

We Can Help You 

If you’ve read over the above information and feel like your current chemical and solvent measures need reviewing then speak to us, we help businesses nationwide who are in the same position. We conduct detailed and tailored COSHH risk assessments that provide a plan on how your business can best reduce or completely eliminate any risks.

Our services also extend to electrical inspections for your chemical or solvent storage areas, which a member of our engineer team will inspect and assess whether the electrical equipment in your hazardous area is safe, suitable and compliant with BS EN 60079-14.

We have a wealth of experience in hazardous areas across many sectors and would be happy to help your business get COSHH compliant. Contact us today and we can get the ball rolling on your bespoke risk assessment, get in touch here.