Correct Chemical Separation in Storage

That’s right – it is dangerous to store different categories of chemical together and it is dangerous (and against the law) to store more than a very small quantity of chemicals without an Australian Standard approved storage cabinet.

The different categories for dangerous goods storage are as below. These must be stored in an Australian Standard compliant colour coded storage cabinet, labelled with the correct Hazchem placard:

• Flammable Liquids (e.g. fuel) – yellow cabinets, ‘Flammable Liquid 3 + relevant Danger sign’.
• Corrosives (e.g. acid, chlorine etc) – blue cabinets, ‘Corrosive 8’.
• Pesticides – green cabinet, ‘Toxic 6 + relevant Danger Sign’.
• Flammable Gases – Aluminium or Galvanised Gas Bottle Cage (outdoors), ‘Flammable Gas 2 + relevant Danger sign’.
• Aerosols – aluminium cages, ‘Flammable Gas 2’.
• Herbicides are not classified as dangerous goods because they are water soluble.

Emergency eyewash and emergency shower must be installed in the area where hazardous substances are stored, opened, handled and prepared.

White cabinets should only be used for storing waste flammable liquids (205L drum) – it is not up to standard if a white cabinet is used as a 3 in 1 cabinet for any type of chemical even with the relevant Hazchem signs. This is because emergency services need the distinctive colour coding on the cabinets to help them instantly identify what chemicals are in storage.

The information in this article is general in nature – professional advice should be sought for specific requirements.

Be free to contact us today on 1300 889 821 about your requirements!