ADVERTORIAL
Ask the expert: chemical stores
Joe Evans, Regional Account Manager and COSHH specialist at Armorgard, discusses the various ways to ensure the maximum level of health and safety during the storage of hazardous goods.
THOUSANDS of chemicals are handled and stored on construction sites, in manufacturing plants and in warehouses everywhere. Without proper storage, they are accidents waiting to happen. Many incidents are related to inadequate procedures for the storage of chemicals.
It’s almost 30 years since Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH - pronounced as ‘cosh’) was launched. This comprehensive set of regulations requires employers to limit and control exposure to hazardous substances. Part of these legal requirements is the way hazardous chemicals and flammables must properly be stored and transported.
The benefits of adhering to these regulations include reducing the possibility of chemical reactions, fire, explosion, chemical release, accident liability, damage, and insurance costs. A better understanding of health and safety legal requirements, improved workplace organisation processes and improved inventory control are also potential benefits.
COSHH chemical storage requirements are aimed at any industry that stores chemicals, and apply to hazardous substances stored in portable containers such as drums, cylinders and containers, and focus on storage and segregation.
However, there is much more to storing chemicals than just segregation. Additional aspects of chemical storage, such as facility design, shelf life, protection against ignition sources, multi-level storage, indoor versus outdoor storage, etc, should be addressed.
How to choose the right COSHH cabinet There are numerous options when it comes to choosing a COSHH cabinet and you should ask yourself a series of questions: What does my risk assessment say about the need for COSHH cabinets? How much do I need to store? Should I get one big cabinet
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for everything, or two or more smaller ones? Am I likely to need more storage in the future? Can the cabinet be fixed in one place, or would having one designed for easy movement be more appropriate?
Just as the hazardous goods storage market has evolved, so too has the industry’s approach to storing these hazardous substances in the workplace. Not all sizes and types of chemical goods can be handled in the same manner. For hire professionals, understanding the context of their customers’ specific requirements can go a long way towards finding the right solution. But first, businesses who use and transport hazardous goods must understand their chemical store options.
Hazardous goods storage units come in a range of shapes and sizes, and should be designed to meets the exact needs of the environment they will be used in. A standard COSHH chemical store should be constructed from flameproof material, have welded seams to prevent fire seeping out, and be should be lockable, ideally with 3-point locking.
These criteria are the minimum Armorgard Flambank on site
performance requirements for compliance with health and safety legislation, but we don’t have to stop there. There are many advantages of going the extra mile in chemical store design.
Using COSHH cabinets that have ultra-durability and security increases health and safety performance. This opens up the possibility of achieving real business benefits including eliminating rather than reducing risks, reducing long-term costs, improving regulatory compliance and reducing risk profile with the potential for reduced insurance premiums
and liability claims. It also allows for improved hazard identification and risk control decision making, and enhanced image and reputation among employees and customers.
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