It might seem an obvious thing to say, but flammable liquids and dangerous substances really need to be stored safely and securely.
It’s common sense after all, yet there are a number of serious cases reported to the Health and Safety Executive each year where the correct procedures haven’t been followed and injuries have occurred. This is despite the fact that the storage of flammable liquids in process areas, workrooms, laboratories and working areas is controlled by legislation.
The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres (DSEAR) Regulations, 2002, sets out the correct procedures for dealing with flammable liquids and dangerous substances in industry. This legislation requires that the risks from the indoor storage of dangerous substances need to be strictly controlled. This can be achieved either by elimination, or by reducing the quantities of such substances in the workplace to a minimum and providing mitigation to protect against foreseeable incidents.
Naturally it is widely recognised that for practical purposes only limited quantities of flammable liquids should be stored in workrooms and working areas.
Where such liquids are stored, then it is the responsibility/duty of the employer to carry out a risk assessment under DSEAR Regulation 5 to justify the need to store any particular quantity of flammable liquid within a workroom/working area. However, the guiding principle is that only the minimum quantity needed for frequently occurring activities, or that required for use during half a day, or one shift, should be stored in the workroom/working area in secure lockers, bins or cabinets. Obviously the actual quantities that are stored will depend on the particular work activity, and also the organisational arrangements for controlling the fire risks in the workroom or working area.
When flammable liquids are not in use, they should be securely stored in appropriate lockers and cabinets.
These lockers and bins should be kept locked when not in use, and should be constructed from fire-resistant materials which are designed to contain and retain any liquid spillage. Fire-resistant lockers and cabinets should only be located in designated areas that, if possible, are remote from the immediate processing area and do not jeopardise the means of escape from the workroom or working area.
Flammable liquids should also be stored separately from any other dangerous substance, like energetic substances, oxidizers and corrosive materials that may enhance the risk of fire or potentially compromise the integrity of the container or cabinet/bin. Although it is recognised that these other dangerous substances may be flammable liquids in their own right or held in a flammable liquid, it is still considered to be inappropriate to store them in the same cabinets or bins as other flammable liquids. [Further guidance on Energetic and spontaneously combustible substances is contained in HS(G)131 published by HSE]
It is recommended that the maximum quantities that may be stored in cabinets and lockers are no more than 50 litres for extremely, highly flammable and those flammable liquids with a flashpoint below the maximum ambient temperature of the workroom/working area; and no more than 250 litres for other flammable liquids with a higher flashpoint of up to 55°C.
