If your work necessitates the use of hazardous chemicals, your workplace must have safety procedures in place to ensure they are stored securely and without posing a health risk. Finding the safest chemical storage will depend on numerous factors, including the type of chemicals stored on-site, their volume, accessibility needs and more. As such, it is vital that those in charge of maintaining health and safety practices in the workplace understand the risks involved with the chemicals in use and learn how to handle them safely before deciding on the type of chemical storage to adopt.

SafetyBuyer has the experience needed to provide expert guidance on storing hazardous substances at the workplace - and why you need a COSHH cabinet for safe chemical storage. Read the blog below to understand how to keep your workplace safe and reduce the risk of hazardous substances causing harm.

What do I need to store chemicals safely?

If a chemical is to be contained safely, it must be stored in accordance with the safety instructions given by the manufacturer. Such data and information sheets contain the following information about the substance:

• Storage space
• Environmental needs
• Control procedures
• Cleaning measures
• Necessary personal protective equipment
• Training and supervision
• Emergency planning
• Disposal procedures

In order to arrive at the safest chemical storage solution for the hazardous substance, there must be a full consideration of all of its storage needs as outlined above.

What is a COSHH cabinet?

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations is a law in the UK that requires employers to safely control hazardous substances. Therefore, a COSHH cabinet is a storage facility that meets and exceeds the requirements outlined by COSHH for the safe storage of chemicals that can cause harm.

When a cabinet or cupboard meets the criteria governed by COSHH, you can be sure that it will satisfy your safety needs and reduce the risk of harm posed by the hazardous substance significantly.

Is a COSHH cupboard a legal requirement?

COSHH regulations outline the necessary procedures for safely handling and storing dangerous substances. A workplace must adhere to these safety regulations and comply with the standard set by COSHH, in order to minimise the risk of harm and limit exposure to the chemical among employees.

Choosing a COSHH cabinet ensures that your organisation is compliant with the health and safety standards to which employers are held. Not only should it be a priority to protect your employees and those on-premises, but failing to meet the expected standards of health and safety may lead to legal liability if a chemical that has not been stored correctly causes harm.

Do COSHH cabinets need to be yellow?

The majority of COSHH cabinets are yellow, but this is not necessary for legal compliance. Rather, the regulation states that a workplace that uses hazardous substances must store them in appropriate storage cabinets and cupboards that are clearly identifiable. In most workplaces, yellow is representative of hazards and a yellow storage cabinet clearly denotes the risk associated with its contents.

While there is no legal requirement for a COSHH cabinet to be yellow, the widespread use of the colour is an indication to many that the storage space is used for harmful substances - so you should consider maintaining this industry standard in order to reduce the risk of confusion and potential accidents.

Where do you store COSHH products?

The best way to store a hazardous material will depend on the material itself; the employer should understand all the associated risks and storage needs before choosing a storage solution. For example, flammable liquids should be stored separately from other flammable materials. Workplaces should take a strategic approach to the health and safety regulations that govern the workplace's designated storage area for a certain chemical.>/p>

There should be additional safety considerations regarding the storage areas' ventilation. Information about the specific risk factors associated with a particular chemical can be found on the manufacturer's safety labels or online, which can help to choose an appropriate storage solution before you have purchased the product in question.

What are the requirements for storing chemicals?

To understand the full regulations governing the occupational use of hazardous and other dangerous substances, visit the official COSHH page.

For products that will help you to meet and exceed all COSHH regulations, browse the full range of hazardous substance storage cabinets from SafetyBuyer.