Chemical stores are required for companies who handle hazardous chemicals in their facilities. Storage containers designed for containment of hazardous chemicals are constructed to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations as well as minimise the risk of fires, explosions and toxic gas leaks. There are several requirements based on the type of work conducted in your facility you will need to take into account when selecting a chemical store.
A Chemical Store can be purchased ‘off the shelf’ in standard sizes and storage layouts, but you can also have a storage solution customised to suit your specific requirements. The benefits of a customised chemical store include:
1. Storage Layout
Customising a chemical store allows you to design a unit that will hold the specific quantity and size of the chemical containers you need to store. You may be using varying sizes of chemical containers in varying quantities and a standard store does not provide the specific storage capacity that you need. Storing excessive quantities of chemicals can prove a safety hazard in the workplace, so you need to ensure that you have sufficient space to increase employee safety.
2. Dimensions/Size
It is important to consider the size of the space in your facility where hazardous chemicals need to be stored. A standard chemical store may not fit in the available space that you have on site, but a customised chemical store can be manufactured to your exact dimensions. Utilising space in the workplace is key to overall efficiency.
3. Site Access
Considering the access to your facility is essential when selecting a chemical store. Off the shelf chemical stores are delivered to site fully assembled, which can make it difficult to place in the necessary location. If access is restricted, you may need a customised chemical store which can be delivered in kit form for final assembly on site and in the location where it is needed.
4. Bunds
If you plan on storing non-compatible chemicals, you will need segregated bunds to prevent them from mixing with each other. You will also need different size bunds depending on the quantity of each chemical that you are storing. One strong benefit of a customised chemical store it that it can be manufactured with exactly the quantity and capacity of bunds that you require.
5. Chemical Segregation
Further to our last point, if you plan on storing non-compatible chemicals e.g. Flammables and Corrosives, they may need to be segregated from each other. A customised chemical store can be manufactured with firewalls to segregate non-compatible chemicals. Segregating non-compatible chemicals is essential in order to comply with health and safety regulations as well as reduce the risk of fires and explosions.
6. Access / Door Location
When customising your chemical store, you can choose the specific type of door (sliding or hinged) that best suits your facility. For example, sliding doors are preferable when your chemical store is located in an area where there is limited space. Additionally, you can select the door size and door location which specifically suit your needs.
7. Finish / Colour
Customised chemical stores can be constructed out of the exact material you need for your facility, e.g. mild steel, stainless steel or plastic. You can also select the type of finish, painted or hot dip zinc galvanized, and preferred colour. For example, you can customise the finish on your chemical store to match your corporate colours and ensure it aptly blends in with its surroundings.
8. Temperature Controlled
If you have temperature sensitive chemicals, you can specify the inclusion of features such as frost protection/heating or full temperature control with heating & cooling in the design of your chemical store. Such features allow you to maintain the internal temperature in the chemical store at pre-set levels, protecting your chemicals from extremes of temperature.
9. Fire Protection
If you store highly flammable chemicals on site, you can specify a fire protected construction to prevent your chemicals adding fuel to a fire on site. To add an extra safety precaution, you can also customise your chemical store with emergency fire escape doors. This will help reduce the risk of injury in the event of a fire within the chemical store.
10. Usage
Do you need a chemical store for storage of pallets of chemicals? Do you need a walk-in chemical store? Do you need to decant and package waste chemicals in your store? Do you need to be able to store all of the above? The intended use of your chemical store will depict whether you require a standard or custom design.
Key Takeaway
There are numerous benefits to customising your chemical store. By considering the top 10 elements listed above, you will be able to determine whether a customised chemical store is right for you. With a customised chemical store, you do not need to compromise on any feature, because you can specify exactly what you need, ensuring that your chemical store is fit for purpose on your site. At Safety Storage Systems, we offer a wide range of options for you to customise your chemical store. Get in touch with one of our chemical storage experts to learn more about customised chemical stores.