Dangerous goods and hazardous chemical storage areas require careful management to ensure they remain effective. However, it’s not always clear how to manage these duties when there are so many safety factors to consider.
To make the process easier, we’ll be listing some essential points to include in your chemical storage checklist when you’re inspecting your safety cabinets. We recommend weekly inspections for chemical storage cabinets, so you can quickly rectify issues such as cabinet damage, misuse or hazardous spillage.
Inspecting Your Safety Cabinets
Begin your inspection by checking the integrity of individual chemical safety cabinets. Your checklist should include the following essential points:
- Are there any signs of impact, structural, damage, dents, tears, rust, or corrosion that could make the cabinet unstable or dysfunctional?
- Is the cabinet level and not unbalanced in anyway?
- Is the cabinet loaded past its maximum capacity?
- Are chemical containers fully inside the cabinet (ie, not interfering with the door closing mechanism)?
- Are shelves structurally sound and properly support the chemical drums and containers?
- Are chemical containers in safe, stable stacks?
- Are toxic cabinets locked?
- Do cabinet doors close automatically and in sequence?
While you may purchase a cabinet that's compliant, the way you install and look after your equipment can affect its effectiveness as a hazard control.
In addition to these points, your business should also consider the cabinet installation.
The location that you choose for your cabinet, as well as the integrity of the installation, can greatly affect the safety and compliance of your store.
Consider the following points to determine if your placement of the cabinet is compliant:
- Does your cabinet contain any type of flammable liquids that may ignite if placed near an ignition source?
- Is there adequate ventilation in the work area to disperse any hazardous vapour emissions that may escape from an opened cabinet?
- Can workers easily see the contents of the cabinet or does your work area require further lighting?
- Is an open mezzanine level situated above the cabinet, increasing the risk of impact damage?
Could your cabinet location impede emergency evacuation procedures?
- Could access to the cabinet be improved by moving it to a different area of your organisation?
- Is the chemical cabinet situated in a convenient position, so staff don’t have to travel excessive distances to decant or use the chemicals?
- Could there be any risk posed by incompatible substances?
The location of your cabinet can impact the compliance and safety of your organisation.
Compatibility Hazards
As we’ve mentioned in the blog, incompatible materials and substances must not be stored in (or near) safety cabinets.
The segregation of incompatible chemicals is always a key consideration when selecting, installing and maintaining any type of hazardous chemical store in your business.
In your weekly inspection checklist, you should be able to clearly answer these questions:
- Is the cabinet correct for the substance stored inside (eg, only flammable liquids in the flammable liquids cabinets)?
- Are mixed classes of dangerous goods being stored in the same cabinet?
- Are ignition sources inside the cabinet?
- Is the cabinet installed next to electrical appliances, light switches, powerpoints or any type of ignition source?
- Are incompatible chemicals and substances placed near the cabinet?
- Do you have suitable containers for your hazardous chemicals?
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Chemical Labelling
Chemical containers should be marked in accordance with WHS Regulations and the Model Code of Practice Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals.
Your cabinet checklist should include these considerations about chemical labelling:
- Do packaged containers have original labels in place?
- Are labels intact and fully legible?
- Do portable and decanting containers have compliant labels?
- Do small containers have sufficient labelling, or placed in properly labelled sample boxes (or similar)?
Placards and Signage
To comply with Australian Safety Standards, chemical safety cabinets must display suitable warning signs.
Make sure that you include the following points in your chemical storage checklist:
- Does the cabinet display the appropriate Dangerous Goods label (eg, Class 3 Flammable Liquids and pictogram)?
- Are flammable cabinets displaying the NO SMOKING, NO IGNITION SOURCES sign?
- Does the cabinet clearly display the name and address of the cabinet manufacturer, or importer?
- Is the maximum capacity of the cabinet clearly marked?
- Are all placards and warning signs visible when the doors to the cabinet are closed?
- Is there sufficient lighting to illuminate warning signs and placards while the business is operational?
Leaks and Spills
As a requirement of WHS Regulations, every Australian workplace must have equipment and procedures in place to manage all possible chemical leaks and spills.
Include these chemical spillage considerations in your checklist, as a basic minimum:
- Are spill compounds in the cabinets being used to store other items?
- Are spill trays in place?
- Have all leaks and spills been cleaned up and the spill sump cleared?
- Are sump plugs in place and creating a full seal?
- Do you have chemical spill kits on hand including PPE, and operational procedures?
Housekeeping
You may not associate housekeeping with your chemical storage cabinet, but when you’re dealing with any type of hazardous chemical, good housekeeping practices are essential.
Include the following queries in your cabinet inspection checklist to ensure that your housekeeping practices are being followed:
- Has all packaging been removed from the chemical container before it’s placed in the cabinet?
- Are unnecessary items being stored in the cabinet (eg, rags, paintbrushes, PPE, cardboard cartons)?
- Are personal belongings, food, or drink being stored in (or around) the cabinet?
- Is the top of the cabinet being used to store files, documents, PPE and combustibles, or other chemicals?
- Are chemical deliveries/orders put away immediately and not left sitting next to the cabinet?
- Are there any excess chemicals sitting outside the safety cabinet due to insufficient storage space?
- Are pallets, boxes, vehicles or machinery blocking or impeding access to first aid equipment, safety showers or emergency eyewash?
Tick All the Boxes on Your Chemical Storage Checklist
To find out more about chemical storage cabinets and how they can improve chemical safety, you can download our free guide.
Essential Considerations When Storing Flammable Liquids Indoors will help any organisation storing any type of Class 3 liquid to correctly install and maintain a chemical cabinet is a compliant way.
