Chemical Storage Toolbox Talk: Safe Containers, Segregation and Flammables

This chemical storage toolbox talk is for anyone who uses, receives or tidies away chemicals: maintenance, cleaning, production, workshop and stores staff. It takes about five minutes and is best delivered next to your chemical store or flammables cabinet. The crew should leave knowing where each product belongs and why some must never sit side by side.

Why does chemical storage matter?

Most chemical incidents don't happen during use. They happen in storage, when a lid is left loose, a container leaks onto something it reacts with, or flammables sit near a heat source.

CCOHS explains that storage safety cabinets exist to give temporary protection from fire, keep incompatible materials apart, and restrict access to people who aren't qualified to handle them. In the US, OSHA 1910.106 sets limits for flammable liquid storage, such as no more than 60 gallons of Category 1 to 3 flammable liquids in a single storage cabinet.

In the UK, DSEAR requires employers to control fire and explosion risks from dangerous substances such as solvents, paints, varnishes, LPG and some dusts. Section 7 of each SDS gives the maker's storage advice, as OSHA's SDS brief explains. Check the rules where you work.

Talking points for your chemical storage toolbox talk

• Closed and labelled, always. Put lids back on straight after use. An open container evaporates, spills and can't be identified later.
• Store by compatibility, not by convenience. Acids, alkalis, oxidisers and flammables each have their place. Alphabetical order or "where it fits" can put reactive products together.
• Flammables go in their cabinet or store. Keep cabinet doors shut and don't wedge them open. Only keep what you need for the shift at the workstation.
• Keep heat and ignition sources away. No storage near heaters, hot processes, electrical panels or direct sun, and no smoking near the store.
• Never store chemicals near food or drink. No chemicals in the kitchen fridge, and never put chemicals in drinks bottles. That's how people swallow them by mistake.
• Heavy and corrosive items go low. Keep large containers and corrosives on lower shelves with spill trays, so a dropped container doesn't splash at face height.
• Report leaks and damaged containers straight away. A weeping drum or swollen container needs dealing with now, not at the next inspection.

Example to share with the crew

For example, at the end of a shift someone puts a part-used bottle of bleach-based cleaner on the same shelf as an acid descaler because it's the only space left. Overnight the descaler cap leaks onto the shelf, and in the morning there's a sharp smell in the store.

Mixing bleach and acids can release harmful gas. Nobody meant to mix them; the shelf did it. Ask the crew: which products in our store should never share a shelf?

Chemical storage checklist

• All containers closed and correctly labelled
• Incompatible chemicals stored apart as the SDS directs
• Flammables in designated cabinet or store, doors closed
• Only shift quantities kept at workstations
• No chemicals near heat, ignition sources, food or drink
• Spill trays in place and spill kit stocked nearby
• No leaking, bulging or damaged containers
• SDSs available for everything in the store

Questions to ask the crew

1. Are any chemicals in our area stored where they shouldn't be?
2. Which products here are flammable, and where are they kept?
3. What would you do if you found a leaking container at the end of your shift?

How to close the talk

Close this chemical storage toolbox talk with one message: every chemical has a home, and it goes back there closed and labelled. Report leaks, damaged containers or overflowing stores to your supervisor right away. Read the labels and safety data sheets talk next, or browse more toolbox talk topics.