OSHA Cabinets and the Chemicals in Them

Dangerous Materials need to be in Safe Places

                A lot of businesses keep hazardous chemicals on the premises; from the obvious ones like factories, machine shops; expected ones like big-box stores and medical offices; to surprising ones like an elementary school and your local insurance office. The term hazardous chemicals cover a wide field of substances. Virtually every place of business has some. Got a custodial staff? Then you have some hazardous chemicals in the building. You need a place to put them and you need the proper kind of container for the chemicals. Safeandvault.com has the solution for you, OSHA approved flammable storage cabinets.

                What is OSHA? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration; created in 1970 to help prevent workplace accidents, illnesses and work-related injuries and occupational fatalities. They create regulations and standards like 1910.106, which provide the specifications on how flammable storage cabinets should constructed and what materials should be placed in them.

                The next question should be what chemicals should be placed in these cabinets? There are many different types of hazardous chemicals and many that can be found in the workplace. You need to be aware of the different kinds of chemicals and why you should put them in a safe place.

                Corrosives

                Irritants

                Asphyxiates

                Primary Anesthetics

                Hepatotoxins

                Nephrotoxins

                Neurotoxins

                Hemotoxins

                Carcinogens

                Reproductive Toxins

                Mutagens

                Teratogens

                Sensitizers

                Toxic Chemicals

                Acutely Toxic Chemicals

                Cyanide and Sulfur Compounds

                These are the different types of hazardous chemicals that should be stored in an OSHA approved cabinet. This site provides examples of each type of chemical and OSHA has a complete list of hazardous chemicals. There are also many different materials that should be kept in a secure cabinet in the event of a fire or other disaster; large batteries, ammunition, the base materials for the listed chemicals, office supplies that have dangerous materials in them and so on.

                The best choice for you and your business is an OSHA approved flammable storage cabinet. It will provide a measure of safety for you and your customers. Safeandvault.com has these cabinets available for a good price. They are OSHA approved and built by the NFPA code. They have sturdy 18-gauge welded steel walls with 1 1/2 “of air space between them. There are also dual capped 2” vents that keep the contents cooler than they would be in standard cabinets. Adjustable feet keep the cabinet level and a 2” high door sill helps contain potential spills. All models contain 500 lb. capacity shelves; smaller models have one shelf while the larger have two. The cabinets come in a bright, yellow powder-coat finish with “Flammable – Keep Fire Away” warning emblems. The larger models are perfect for storage areas and closest and the smaller versions fit under work benches, counter tops, and fume hoods, windows and other tight corners which would help you save floor space.

                No matter what your business is, the clarion call should be safety first. OSHA approved cabinets are among the surest way to put the safety of yourself, employees and customers first.

Written by:

Joseph Fowler