CHEMICAL STORAGE

This section provides requirements and recommendations for storing hazardous materials.  Refer to the section entitled Definition of Hazardous Chemicals to determine if a chemical, material, product or mixture is hazardous.  Refer to PUB 3000, Chapter 20 for hazardous waste storage requirements.

Hazardous Material Storage Requirements

The criteria listed in this section are requirements that must be followed by LBNL staff.

General Requirements, Storage Cabinets and Shelves

• Segregate incompatible chemicals (e.g., storing oxidizing acids and flammable solvents in separate locations).  This is to prevent inadvertent mixing of incompatible chemicals which can produce harmful gases/vapors, heat, fire and explosions.  Consult the section entitled Specific Controls and Procedures for additional requirements and details tailored for different categories of hazardous materials. The chemical incompatibility matrices and tables presented later in this section provide recommended (optional) guidelines for segregating incompatible chemicals.
• Store hazardous materials away from heat and direct sunlight.  Heat and sunlight may impact and degrade chemicals, deteriorate storage containers and labels. 
• Do not store hazardous materials (except cleaners) under sinks. 
• Ensure caps and lids are securely tightened on containers. This prevents leaks and evaporation of contents.
• Use approved flammable storage lockers or flammable storage containers to store flammable and combustible liquids exceeding 10 gallons in one room. Flammable and combustible liquids kept in squeeze bottles and other secondary containers may be kept on counter and bench tops provided they do not exceed the 10 gallon limit and are kept in secondary containment.  See Control Procedures for Flammable and Combustible Liquids for additional requirements and details on storage.
• Store inorganic acids in corrosive or acid storage cabinets.  See Control Procedures for Acids and Bases for additional requirements. Their interiors and hardware (door hinges and shelf brackets) are corrosion resistant.  Corrosive storage cabinets can be located under fume hoods or exist as stand-alone units.  Flammable storage cabinets are not corrosion resistant and shall not be used for inorganic acid storage. 
• Install Plexiglas lips or use equivalent means to prevent materials from falling off open storage shelves.

Refrigerators Used for Hazardous Material Storage

• Refrigerators used for storing flammable and combustible liquids shall be designed for that purpose.  Do not use ordinary domestic units.  See Control Procedures for Flammable and Combustible Liquids for additional requirements.
• Do not store food in refrigerators located in technical areas.
• Label refrigerators used for storing chemicals, samples or media as follows: “Caution—Do Not Store Food or Beverages in This Refrigerator.”  Labels may be fabricated by users provided they are legible and securely affixed to the refrigerator.
• Refrigerators used for food and beverages outside of technical areas require no posting.

Squeeze Bottles, and Wash Bottles

• Hazardous materials are often transferred to squeeze bottles and other plastic containers such as Nalgene® bottles.  These are made of plastics, such as high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene and polypropylene and may exhibit varying degrees of resistance to different chemicals.  Moreover, they may deteriorate over time, especially when exposed to sunlight or UV sources.  Utilize resources such as user knowledge or chemical resistance data such as that provided by the Nalgene® Web Site to determine and select the proper material.

Secondary Containment for Liquids

• Store liquid hazardous materials (including squeeze and wash bottles) in secondary containment. This is to minimize the impact and spread of spills resulting from broken/leaking containers.  Secondary containment capacity must be 110% of the largest container or 10% of the aggregate volume of all containers, whichever is larger. 
• Secondary containment is available in different materials which provide varying resistance to different chemicals.  Use resources such as user knowledge or the information provided below to select the proper material.
  • Photo Trays
    • Generally, these provide good resistance for aqueous solutions and some organic solvents. But they may not be a good choice for halogenated solvents.
    • Photo trays are available through several commercial sources, including VWR Scientific.  An additional source of spill containment trays is Scientific Plastics.  This company provides trays in several depths, with width and length in 1” increments. These trays have been used at LBNL to contain entire shelves in storage cabinets.
  • Polypropylene and Hi Density Polyethylene Trays
    • These may be affected by some aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons.
    • The Nalgene® Website has a chemical resistance database for these materials.
  • Stainless Steel and Pyrex Trays
    • Stainless steel and Pyrex trays are resistant to a broader spectrum of chemicals.  However they are more costly than plastic trays and aren’t available in as many different sizes and configurations.
  • Larger Capacity Containers
    • Containers such as Pelletote® boxes are acceptable for larger volumes of liquids provided they are resistant to the chemicals stored in them.  Pelletote® boxes are constructed of high density polyethylene.

Hazardous Material Storage Recommendations

The information, guidelines, chemical incompatibility matrices and tables presented below are recommended good practices.  These are optional guidelines.

General Recommendations

• Shelves and racks should have enough clearance to accommodate the largest container that allows it to be removed and returned without tipping. Tipping containers when returning them to shelves, cabinets and refrigerators may cause the contents to drip or leak. 
• Limit hazardous materials kept in fume hoods to the amount that is in use or needed for an activity.
• Avoid stockpiling chemicals. 
• Purchase only what is needed.  If possible, borrow chemicals from a colleague or contact the Chemical Management System Coordinator to assist you in finding a source of the chemical at LBNL.
• Conduct periodic cleanouts to minimize accumulating unwanted chemicals.

Chemical Incompatibility Matrices and Tables

Chemical incompatibility data are presented in Tables 1 and 2 below.  These are recommended guidelines that may be used in combination with container labels, MSDSs , user knowledge for storing and segregating chemicals.  An EH&S Industrial Hygienist may also be consulted.

Table 1: Incompatibilities by Hazard Class

Table 2: Chemical Incompatibility Table

(From Manufacturing Chemists' Association, Guide for Safety in the Chemical Laboratory, pp. 215–217, Van Nostrand )

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