Choosing a suitable chemical storage building for your application can be daunting. Regulators have strict standards, and suppliers offer a variety of options.
Choosing a suitable chemical storage building for your application can be daunting. Regulators have strict standards, and suppliers offer a variety of options.
Ignoring regulation is expensive. The occupational safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that enterprises have the responsibility to create and maintain a safe working environment. In 2013, they fined a company 272000 dollars for a number of violations. Investigation shows that their chemical storage area lacks secondary closure. Officials also found that some chemicals were not properly stored outside approved safe buildings.
How do you ensure the safety of employees and meet regulatory requirements at a reasonable cost?
Follow these five steps to choose the most suitable chemical warehouse for your needs.
Identify your chemicals and their hazards
The supplier shall issue a safety data sheet (SDS) for each chemical. It describes the characteristics of chemicals and the hazards associated with them. Check SDS to determine which chemicals are dangerous, flammable or combustible. Each category has specific requirements for the appropriate storage. Incompatible chemicals can be stored in different rooms in the same building or completely in different buildings.
Chemical warehouses may require fire-resistant buildings, depending on whether they are close to other occupied buildings or property boundaries. Inflammables and other chemicals with low flash point need explosion-proof electrical components.
Exhaust fans, fire fighting installations and other components may be required to maintain compliance with local and national regulations. Always consult your local regulatory body.
Determine your storage location
The international building code (IBC), NFPA, OSHA and other regulatory agencies set requirements for the proper storage of any chemical, including combustibles, combustibles, corrosives, oxidants, organic peroxides, pesticides, etc. The requirements for the construction of the walls depend on the proximity of the chemical warehouse to the boundaries of the occupied buildings and properties.
Choose the fire rating for your chemical warehouse building according to the following criteria:
4-hour fire rating within 10 feet of a occupied building
Conduct a 2-hour fire test 10 to 30 feet from other buildings
Do not use over 30 feet away from other buildings
According to IBC Code, the fire grade provides time for evacuation of surrounding area in case of fire.
To determine the appropriate building size and floor area, it is necessary to determine the type and number of containers to be stored. Understanding inventory ensures that the size and overflow control of the building meets the requirements of your application and is optimal.
Elevated floors are used in chemical warehouse buildings in the United States. This is due to the secondary containment sump below it catching spillage. Choose a standard elevated floor with a load rating of 500 lbs PSF, or specify a higher rating based on your needs.
The standard width and length of the chemical warehouse are 6 feet, 8 feet, 10 feet and 12 feet respectively, but up to 52 feet. Choose a combination of standard units or custom building sizes that you need.
Chemical safety buildings should be designed to facilitate the transfer of chemicals. The customer can specify the number of openings. Select the access ramp or step and the rack or shelf system.
Multi layer rack can be used for large handbags and trays or drums. Their heavy construction allows them to withstand years of daily wear and handling. Select the horizontal drum frame gravity distribution.
Select a pool shelf that contains small leaks and spills. It is easier to clean up a small shelf spill than a large spill in the secondary containment sump. Strong and durable, steel structure handle heavy load requirements.
The secondary containment is an integrated sump to capture spills and leaks inside the building. Chemical storage buildings in the United States provide sewage pools that meet EPA and OSHA standards. The standard oil spill containment bottom shell uses continuously welded 10 steel plate and structural steel pipe to create the vertical wall of the containment. Every U.S. chemical storage tank has been leak tested at the factory.
The sewage pit can prevent the overflow from leaving the building and polluting the environment.
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