Safety Cabinets and Chemical Storage

This question is asked a lot. There is nothing in writing to preclude you from having boxes, papers, etc., in a safety cabinet, but we discourage it. This is an area of best practice not addressed by the law. The standards to which a cabinet is tested limit the internal temperature from exceeding 325°F (163ºC) for 10 minutes in a fire test. This is a conservative temperature below the auto ignition temperatures of the liquids being stored. It makes sense that packaging, such as boxes, are made of materials with auto ignition temperatures higher than the 325°F (163ºC) too. But, what can be dangerous is if those boxes become soiled with residues of the flammable liquids which in turn give off harmful, ignitable, or hazardous vapors. Additionally, it is important to avoid storing materials and combinations of material that can spontaneously combust and create fire inside the cabinet, like oily rags and incompatible materials.

Our vote is on the side of best practice, safety, and of tidy housekeeping. We have heard of OSHA inspectors frowning on this practice even in the absence of law. Learn more about safe storage practices in safety cabinets. https://www.justrite.com/news/chemical-storage-guidelines-for-safety-cabinets/

Hazardous material safety cabinets are similar in construction to Justrite steel corrosive cabinets, featuring 18-gauge double-walled steel, a 1.5-inch insulating air space, a 2-inch leakproof sump, and dual vents with flame arresters.

The key differences are in compliance and labeling. Hazardous material safety cabinets are required by code to have self-closing doors, so manual-close options are not available. They also include a HAZARDOUS - KEEP FIRE AWAY Haz-Alert warning label on the front of the cabinet for high visibility in emergency conditions.

In addition, these cabinets include “Right to Know” labeling with Acid and Base identifiers and eight hazardous material classifications: Pyrophoric, Oxidizer, Self-Reactive, Toxic, Water-Reactive, Corrosive, Flammable Solid, and Organic Peroxide. These labels follow GHS guidelines and help users properly identify, store and segregate incompatible chemicals, while also providing important information for emergency responders. Intended to store specific classifications of hazardous materials, the cabinets come with “Acid” and “Base” labels along with eight distinct hazardous material classification labels, including: Pyrophoric, Oxidizer, Self-Reactive, Toxic, Water-Reactive, Corrosive, Flammable Solid, and Organic Peroxide. Designed using pictograms and elements from the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), these labels are included in the packaging, and the customer can select and apply the most appropriate label(s) for their application. They serve a dual purpose in helping the end user properly store and segregate incompatible chemicals, and in the event of an emergency, warn individuals and first responders to heed caution in the proximity of the cabinet. Learn more about Justrite hazardous material safety cabinets. https://www.justrite.com/tech-talk/hazardous-material-safety-cabinets-the-regs