OSHA and NFPA dictate that hazardous materials such as acid, paint, flammable materials and gases must be stored securely according to strict regulations. Safety cabinets are made specifically for this reason - not just to adhere to OSHA and NFPA regulations - but to ensure that hazardous materials are safely stored to protect your employees and prevent accidents. Read on to learn about the different types of safety cabinets available for storing hazardous materials.
Cylinder Cabinets
When gas cylinders are left unsecured there is always a chance for trouble to develop, but cylinder storage cabinets allow you to secure cylinders full of gasses safely. Cylinder cabinets are not only essential for safety at any manufacturing facility or plant, but they also allow you to be in compliance with OSHA regulations.
When ordering cylinder storage cabinets, the first issue you want to consider is in what environment will your cylinder cabinets be used? If you are using gas cylinder storage cabinets outdoors, you may want to consider aluminum cylinder cabinets. For indoor applications, you'd probably want to use steel cylinder storage cabinets.
Having made the decision of whether to order aluminum or steel cylinder storage cabinets, you now need to consider how the cylinders will be stored. Gas cylinder cabinets are available that store cylinders and tanks in a horizontal or vertical position, or both horizontally and vertically.
Double-Walled Flammable Storage Cabinets
Double-walled cabinets reduce the risk of costly, damaging fires, and also provide convenient storage of your flammable liquids. They feature air space between the two walls of the storage cabinet that act as insulation to protect paints, gasoline, and chemicals against heat, sparks, or fire.
Self-Closing Cabinets
Automatic self-closing cabinets have fusible links that hold the doors open. These metallic links melt at a relatively low temperature and the spring loaded doors close themselves. In the case of a manual door, an employee needs to manually shut the door if a fire starts. But really, in the case of a fire, you should only be worried about getting yourself out of the area and let the cabinets take care of themselves. Just remember to never obstruct a safety cabinet door! The auto close feature is a waste if there is an obstruction preventing a door from closing in an accident.
There are many different rules for flammables and gas cylinders. The smartest way to pick a safety cabinet is to look at what OSHA and NFPA regulations require, as well as any other laws that may regulate flammable and gas storage. Beyond the scope of law, it is always recommended to buy auto-closing safety cabinets over manual units. Don't put yourself or your employees in danger, always store hazardous materials safely in OSHA or NFPA approved safety cabinets.
