5 tips for more safety in the storage of hazardous substances

Whether chlorine, mineral oils or other toxic substances: anyone who has to deal with hazardous substances in their daily work should be prepared for dangerous properties and risks during storage. Sensitive handling is essential here. But how can large quantities in particular be stored safely? What exactly is important? And what legal requirements must be met?

In many companies, working with flammable or toxic hazardous substances is part of everyday life. To help you store your substances safely, our experts have summarized the five most important tips for you.

1. Select a suitable storage location

As a general rule, before setting up your hazardous materials storage facility, you should conduct a needs analysis and take a close look at the potential storage space. This will help you determine exactly which substances will be stored and whether the space is suitable for them. After all, a variety of substances do not immediately reveal what the nature of the storage location should be. Placement of highly flammable substances in hallways, stairwells or attics is not permitted by law.

One of the most important considerations regarding storage is fall protection. Make sure you can stack and secure your containers neatly and securely on a shelf, for example. If you need to store a larger quantity of hazardous materials, use so-called hazardous material depots or safety room containers. In addition, you should find out in advance which substances may be stored together and for which you need separate storage areas. Hazardous substances, for example, should never be stored in the immediate vicinity of food or pharmaceuticals because of the risk of confusion.

2. label hazardous substances properly

Also, make sure that you or responsible employees always adequately label flammable, toxic or other hazardous substances. This allows employees or uninvolved persons to directly obtain an overview and assessment of the risks posed by the hazardous substances.

3. protect hazardous materials from unauthorized access.

Access to hazardous substances should only be permitted to expert persons in your company. After all, they usually work with the substances on a daily basis and are very familiar with their handling. To ensure access from unauthorized persons, many companies rely on lockable safety cabinets or lockable vessels and containers, among other measures.

4. Keeping an eye on important guidelines

Meeting all legal guidelines and regulations is one of the most important points when it comes to safe storage. So, in addition to the regulations for each hazardous material, be aware of the general guidelines for storage. You should also keep an eye on changes and updates to these guidelines and adapt your storage conditions to possible innovations.

You can obtain important information and innovations on the subject directly from the regulations, in the GefStoffV Hazardous Substances Ordinance, the AwSV, the TRGS 510 and the TRGS 509.

5. Selecting the right containers

If the original containers are break- and leak-proof, you can of course continue to store the contents in them. However, if you want to transfer or fill hazardous products, please be careful and make sure that all interchangeable containers are - and remain - intact. To do this, it is essential that you check in advance exactly which materials can withstand the hazardous substances.

Sump trays or containers provide additional protection against damage or contamination of the storage environment, especially when large quantities of substances are involved.
Important: By law, a drip pan must be able to hold at least ten percent of the storage volume or the largest stored container size. Anyone storing hazardous materials in water protection areas must ensure that the containment system can hold the entire storage volume if the worst comes to the worst.

Discover our wide selection of bins, drip pans and containers and secure your hazardous materials with a clear conscience. Do you have any questions on the subject or would you like to learn more about our equipment? Our experts are always at your disposal. Feel free to contact us by phone at +49 30 2096579 00 or send us an email at info@medsolut.com.