Chemicals Storage

Generally, chemicals should always be stored in accordance with specific information provided by manufacturers or suppliers. This information can be found easily on container labels and also within the relevant Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Typical label and MSDS information should contain details on issues such as:

• Warning and safety phrases such as 'flammable', poison', 'keep out of reach of children' etc
• Physical and health hazards
• Guidelines on safe use, storage and transport
• Spill control and clean up
• Separation distances from ignition sources and other incompatible chemicals
• First aid

Further regulation for people storing, using, manufacturing and supplying chemicals defined as 'hazardous substances' can be found in the Workplace Health and Safety Regulations 1998, Part 4, Division 2 -'Control of workplace hazardous substances'. Here, issues such as the maintaining of a hazardous substance register, the provision of labelling and MSDS are addressed.

Where a chemical has been classified as a 'dangerous good', it is identified by a specific dangerous good class diamond label, and is also assigned a four digit UN number by the United Nations. Requirements for the storage of dangerous goods are found in the Dangerous Goods (General) Regulations 1998. This legislation calls up several standards and codes specific to a class or individual dangerous good, it also provides regulation on emergency planning, placarding of depots and licensing for the keeping of dangerous goods where an exemption limit has been exceeded (refer schedule 3, Dangerous Goods (General) Regulations 1998).

Additional storage advice may also be found on commercially available chemical data base programmes and NICNAS (National Industrial Chemical Notification and Assessment Scheme) summary reports and guidance notes.