Storing larger volumes of hazardous materials is a logistical challenge for many manufacturers. Where will you fit chemical drums and IBC totes? How will you safely store dangerous chemicals without interrupting facility operations? Timely assessment of these questions ensures workplace compliance and employees’ safety. While considering inventory needs for raw materials and building supplies, special accommodations should be made for precursor chemicals. Flammable and combustible chemicals should never be stored with workplace equipment and supplies. Although OSHA doesn’t specify safety requi ..read more

National Fire Protection 30 is the industry standard for the handling and storing of flammable and combustible liquids. While this standard is not enforceable under the NFPA, OSHA references and cites NFPA 30 in establishing its hazardous materials regulations. Manufacturers should reference NFPA 30 when handling and storing dangerous chemicals in conjunction with OSHA regulations. NFPA 30 includes a system of classifying and categorizing flammable liquids based on their physical properties and propensities to cause harm and environmental contamination. What Are Flammable Liquids? Although al ..read more

Caged intermediate bulk containers are among the most popular hazardous material storage methods. While steel drums remain common, IBC totes are more versatile, easier to handle, and less susceptible to structural degradation. Furthermore, plastic totes allow for easy transport and long-term storage of dangerous chemicals in facilities. Thanks to a built-in steel cage racking, they are also reusable, affordable, and can be safely stacked. Rigid in design and application, IBC totes are made of high-density plastics for maximum durability. Although most manufacturers rely on IBC totes for n ..read more

Let’s talk about hazardous materials. What are they? Do you need compliant protection to store these dangerous chemicals? While the term “hazardous materials” sounds esoterically scientific, they are far more ubiquitous than you could ever imagine. For mass classification purposes, you should think of hazardous materials as any workplace chemical that can cause bodily harm or environmental contamination if not properly stored. While the term “hazardous” lends you to believe a hands off approach is necessary when encountering dangerous chemicals, this should be tempered with measured reassuranc ..read more

Certain chemicals with sinister-sounding names command more attention to detail than benign compounds. Terms such as acid, ethanol, ammonia, formaldehyde and mercury rightfully elicit a hyper-vigilant response from their handlers. While chemical classifications can be misleading and fail to capture the complexity of molecular compounds, the industry’s more dangerous chemicals have reserved a place in national headlines for their propensity for destruction. Even seemingly inert chemical compounds like water can create volatile reactions if mixed with incompatible acids. Unfortunately, synthetic ..read more

In December 2021, an EF-3 tornado ripped through an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, killing six employees. To the chagrin of community members, the international online retailer didn’t have a storm shelter onsite for the 1.1 million square foot building and said it has no plans to build one in the future. Why won’t they build a shelter? Because they don’t have to. Surprisingly, state and federal regulations don’t require storm shelters or safe rooms. Unfortunately, many businesses deem tornado protection to be a cost-prohibitive luxury not covered by standard operating expenses. While corporatio ..read more

Cavalier attitudes on the jobsite invariably lead to disaster. While it’s true that an efficient team is only as strong as its weakest player, that weak link can throw a kink into your chain of workflow operations. And who will be left to answer to OSHA safety inspectors in the wake of all this carnage? Every year, thousands of companies nationwide face millions of dollars in civil penalties and lawsuits for inadequately protecting workers. Failure to abide by commonsense and federal safety regulations jeopardizes your entire workforce. Ultimately, no one is above the law of humans or the laws ..read more

While more commonly known as a powerful catalyst in agricultural fertilizers, anhydrous ammonia is also a powerful industrial refrigerant. Food manufacturers and processors rely on large quantities of anhydrous ammonia to prevent ingredients from spoiling or deteriorating. Many of your favorite food products, like dairy, ice cream and savory select cuts of meat would not reach your kitchen table without efficient refrigeration. But anhydrous ammonia can be detrimental to worker health and our environment if not properly stored. Our fire-rated chemical storage lockers can provide ..read more

OSHA is not on your payroll. While profits and maximizing your company’s rate-of-return keeps the lights on at the factory, OSHA values workplace safety above all else. OSHA is the federal body tasked with writing and enforcing volumes of safety regulations to minimize catastrophic accidents. OSHA asks a lot of manufacturing facilities that fall under its purview and the same is true for it’s safety inspectors. They rely on agents in the field to make stern decisions on whatever safety violations they encounter daily. Although OSHA strives for perfection in regulation enforcement, they sometim ..read more

Adequate jobsite fire suppression should be at the top of every safety manager’s checklist. According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 37,000 fires occur annually at manufacturing facilities nationwide. While the number of fire related fatalities remains low, manufacturing facilities should mitigate all potential risks with adequate fire suppression. Preventing dangerous fires from spreading to vulnerable equipment and personnel can reduce undue harm and damages. Heeding the warnings of conflagrations nationwide, U.S. Hazmat Storage continues to engineer fire-rated chemic ..read more