When analysing chemical safety in the workplace, it is always worth considering whether you need to upgrade your on-site chemical store. There are 5 key reasons why your business may need to upgrade your chemical store to ensure complete chemical safety in the workplace.
Current Model is Not Weather Resistant
Your current chemical store may only be suitable for indoor use. If it is more feasible to store chemicals outdoors and therefore free up valuable space inside for manufacturing, it will be necessary to upgrade your chemical store to an outdoor/weather-resistant unit. It is also possible that you may have previously purchased an outdoor unit which was not fully weather resistant and find that harsh weather conditions are taking their toll on its condition.
Current Model No Longer Sufficient in Size
One of the most common reasons why your business may need a chemical store upgrade is because the use of chemicals on site has grown. Under no circumstances should a chemical store be over-stocked as this can present a serious safety hazard. If your current chemical store can no longer safely and securely store the amount of chemicals required on site it is important to upgrade your chemical store as soon as possible.
Fire Protection Required
If there is a need to store flammables on site, your chemical store must have fire protection in order to best secure the safety of your employees and the environment. If your current chemical store does not offer fire protection, do not store any flammables on site until you upgrade to a flammables storage unit to ensure total site safety.
Security Issues
A key reason behind the need for a chemical store upgrade can be security issues. Such issues can arise especially where a chemical store is located outdoors. If your current store is not totally secure i.e. it is not lockable or equipped for spill prevention then it can become liable to theft or chemical accidents. A high quality chemical store will offer anti-tamper padlock boxes which ensure that only authorised personnel have access to the store. It will also be bund leak tested and certified.
Current Model Does Not Meet Compliance
If your chemical store is found not to meet regulatory compliance during an audit, you will need to upgrade it to meet legal requirements immediately in order to continue to store chemicals on site. There can be several reasons why your current chemical store may not meet regulatory compliance. It may be the case that the temperature of your current store may not be suitable for ensuring the safe storage of the chemicals within the store. In this case, you would need to upgrade to a temperature controlled chemical store.
For more information about chemical storage and maintaining site safety, read our previous blog posts. Need to upgrade your chemical store? Get in touch.