Are Your Fire Safety Cabinets Tamperproof

A fire safety cabinet is becoming a huge help for the firefighters around the world. It keeps the facility and the staff working in it safe. If your facility stores hazardous chemicals, you should immediately consider getting fire proof storage cabinets.

 Designed to meet the standards of OSHA AND NFPA standards, these are made of sturdy 18-inch gauge double wall, welded steel with 1.5’’ of insulating air space for fire resistance. The approval and regulation of these cabinets are highlighted as-

Approval/Listing and Regulation Key

• FM – Factory Mutual tested and approved
• UL – Underwriters Laboratories listed
• N – Designed in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) code 30 regulation
• O – Complies with OSHA regulations
• U- Complies with Uniform Fire Co

The type of chemical to be stored is standardized in the safety cabinet industry. Using color and labeling in your storage practices helps identify, organize, and segregate liquids.  This just helps one to identify the more dangerous ones from the rest and be extra cautious around them.

Whether it is called a chemical, hazchem or dangerous goods it does not matter, what really matters is it must be built in accordance with the relevant Australian Standard for the chemical being stored in it. The dangerous goods storage cabinets Australia  manufactured by SEPMAR are in complete accordance with these standards and are built to highest quality standards in the industry. The diamond symbol on the container you wish to store must match the symbol on the dangerous goods cabinet.

SEPMAR’s fire safety cabinets are constructed in accordance with Australian Standards 1940-2004. All come complete with emergency escape handle, extinguisher and spill absorption kit where applicable. They are ready for immediate use upon delivery. The storage of any dangerous goods or chemical storage in the workplace and their transportation is tightly regulated throughout Australia. SEPMAR’s premium range of chemical or hazchem storage cabinets, dangerous goods chemical stores and dangerous goods handling equipment meets and exceeds Standards Australia’s AS 1940 – 2004. Laws and legislation surrounding the management of dangerous goods in the workplace are both extensive and complex.

Dangerous Goods Cabinets and How to Choose Them

If your facility is an industrial or commercial site and stores chemicals and other dangerous materials storing them well away from fire must be your prime concern. These can catch fire easily and cause damage to property and life. A safety storage cabinet is what you need to ensure that the staff is not subject to serious burn or injuries at the work place because of these liquids. These are mostly volatile and they tend to evaporate under normal atmospheric conditions and this rate increases if the liquids are stored near a heat source or a warmer area.

Chemicals kept in industrial facilities especially hydrocarbons are highly flammable and the most common cause of industrial fire is improper handling and storage of such lethal chemicals. These are mainly made of thick metals ranging anywhere between 18 and higher with double walls that contain air trapped in between preventing the liquid stored inside accessing enough heat to ignite it.  A 3 point lock door protects and prevents any kind of unwarranted access of the fluids which could pose to be a threat to people around.

Some cabinets need ventilation that allows free circulation of air in and out depending on the liquid stored in it. Also in some, there are lids at the bottom to hold any spillage. Now the question is, how do you select the right cabinet? It completely depends on what you are going to use it for and how much of it are you going to store. Sizes range from 2 gallons to 120 gallons but no matter what, quality should not be skimped on even for the smallest of the dangerous goods cabinets.

Before purchasing any, you should first find out what standards apply for flammable safety cabinets and choose the ones that are designed to contain liquid spills. Always buy from reputable dealers- they will also assist you with getting the right cabinet and it would be OSHA and NFPA certified.  Sturdy built quality construction and fire safety regulations certified are the prime qualities you should be looking for. Prevention is better than cure.

More Information on Dangerous Goods Cabinets and What They Can Do

Ignoring hazardous goods is simply putting your stock, facilities and your worker’s lives at risk. If your facility has to store flammable liquids and other such lethal components, safety should be your prime concern. Flammables, inks and paints, corrosives and acids and pesticides should be stored properly in dangerous goods cabinets, which are OSHA approved.

Why would you go through the pain of storing these properly? It helps to identify, organize and segregate dangerous liquids and by safely containing them you help reduce the risk of fire protecting both personnel and property. You also offer compliance with federal OSHA regulations and state and local fire codes, improve efficiency by allowing solvent to be stored near the points of use and improve security with keyed locking system.

Combustible materials and flammables must be stored closed containers and tanks made of metal and with proper venting and double wall construction. Safety requirements also include keeping the aisles and walkways free and clear of any debris or obstructions. MSDS must be followed while storing these hazardous chemicals.

 The safety storage cabinets come in specific construction- 1.2mm steel, double wall, 400 mm thermal barrier, dual vents with built in flash arrestors, superior electrostatic high gloss powder coat finish, 3 point locking mechanisms, leak proof fully welded 150mm deep containment sump, sequential self closing and latching doors, adjustable leveling feet to prevent doors binding and shelves with troughs to contain spills. While you are buying these containers ensure it is also approved or certified by a third party such as FM global. Cabinets are available from 4 gallons to 115 gallons with various uses.

So that you know how to be extra cautious around them, these come color coded; yellow for combustibles, red for flammables, green for pesticides, blue for corrosives, white and gray for waste materials our outdoor lockers. As a responsible person, you must ensure the safety and of your staff and facility. In order to do that, buy your requirements from a reputable dealer so that you don’t have to worry about its quality and build.

Prevent a Disaster with a Fire Safety Cabinet

If in your facility there are corrosives, inks, paints, pesticides and other hazardous chemicals, safety should be your prime concern. Proper storage will ensure that you and your staff and your facility are safe. Improper storage and handling of flammable liquids is the leading cause of industrial fires. As a responsible person, you should ensure that safety of all in the facility is not compromised. The easiest way to do so is to storing it in fire safety cabinet containers.

How do you determine the characteristics and recommended storage practices of these chemicals? Review the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), here you will find a detailed analysis of what is required. Corrosives must be stored in a particular way. Inks and pesticides also need to be kept properly. There are also other hazardous materials that will need extra precaution.

Steel safety cabinets come with a built in grounding lug, which is generally located at the bottom right side. It is important to ground flammable or combustible liquids. Cabinets come in different sizes that will fit different sized containers. If you are handling acids and corrosives, you will need to handle it with extra care. So even if it spills the container will withstand the substance.

With proper storage of chemicals, you also can avoid theft and liability issues. Any unauthorized personnel cannot manhandle these dangerous chemicals and put lives and property in danger.  Dangerous goods cabinets Australia is manufactured in accordance to the OSHA standards so as to ensure their quality and durability.  Always shop with a reputable vendor; this will help you choose the right cabinet for your situation.

Quality construction is the key. Storage cabinets are made out of high quality steel or poly cabinets. There are also double-walled doors as well as sides, tops and bottoms. Also check for leak proof seals. The bottom line is safety. Check for third-party certification like FM Global (FM approved) or Underwriters Laboratories (UL listed).  Proper storage of these harmful chemicals will make your facility safe and secure a great place for you and your staff to work in.

Buy Dangerous Goods Safety Cabinets in Australia and Be Safe

If you have a large amount of chemicals in your facility, buying fire safety storage cabinets should be your priority. These are life savers- they prevent you and your employees from fire and other occupational hazards. These cabinets are specially made of metal, wood or polyethylene depending upon what they are going to be used for. Chemicals and hazardous substances are not all equally potent and lethal. Some become more dangerous when they come in contact with other such chemicals or vapors.

In a facility where such chemicals and potions are used in an everyday basis, it is a norm to ensure the safety of all those in the facility. Corrosives, pesticides, acids, paints and inks and other flammable liquids are very dangerous and can cause havoc to life and property. It is not advisable to store these substances together; care must be taken to store them separately in separate respective containers. And to make all this process easier, the containers are color coded-blue for acids and corrosives, green for pesticides, red for combustibles, yellow for flammables and white or gray for wastes.

To ensure that you have a safe work place or facility or office, the dangerous goods safety cabinets in Australia are made keeping in mind the standard safety regulation and directives like the NFPA 30 and OSHA 29 CFR 1910; they are approved by the concerned department. Apart from these, you should also make sure that no unauthorized personnel can access these hazardous chemicals. They cabinets must be locked. No mo than three cabinets of either liquid should be kept in the same cabinet- all the substances must have a dedicated storage area.

Many fire safety storage cabinets are equipped with ventilation- this is only applicable for some chemicals and not all; it is not a regulated feature. For example containers storing poisons and pesticides must never use ventilation of any kind. For the ones that do have such ventilation, the ducts must be channeled outdoors so that it does not interfere with the protection of the facility in case of fire.