While running an industrial or manufacturing business chances are high that your workers handle highly-corrosive agents while carrying out their jobs. Of course appropriate storage of any hazardous material is mandated by regulation, however some business owners have questions about what safety cabinets storage ideas are to be considered.

Corrosive liquids are ones that sear, irritate, or injure organic tissue. Chemicals with a pH value less than 4.0 (acidic) or greater than 10.0 (basic) are considered corrosive. Corrosive liquids can also mix with other chemicals to cause fire, explosion, and toxic fumes. Because of the damage to people and property that is caused by corrosive liquids, they require proper storage. The recommended way to do that is in a cabinet specifically designed for this purpose, such as those made by Justrite.

Justrite Blue Steel Safety Cabinets, which come in a variety of sizes and models, feature double-wall construction, dual vents, ground-wire connections, adjustable shelves, leak-proof sills, three-point self-latching doors, and leveling feet-all of which protect against corrosives safely. To withstand caustic agents, Justrite cabinets also include polyethylene trays attached to galvanized steel shelves and a separate, easy-to-clean, polyethylene liner for the bottom sump. The all-epoxy, baked-on powder-coat finish, which is both inside and outside the cabinet, provides improved chemical resistance.

When attempting to store corrosive liquids in your Justrite cabinet, here are a few guidelines to remember:

Be sure that unrelated items (like rags) are not left in your corrosives cabinet.

Store acids away from reactive metals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

Store oxidizing acids away from organic acid and flammable and combustible chemicals-these can combine to cause a fire or explosion.

Do not store acetic acid with oxidizing acids. Acetic acid is an organic (carboxylic) acid that will react if it comes in contact with an oxidizing acid.

While nitric acid and hydrochloric acid can be stored in the same corrosive storage cabinet, they must have separate drip trays because, if they combine, they will form chlorine and nitrosyl chloride gases, both of which are poisonous.

Separate acids from agents that could generate toxic or flammable gases upon contact, such as sodium cyanide, iron sulfide, and calcium carbide.

Store acids separate from bases-when some acids and bases combine, they can do so violently.

Also, keep bases separated from metals, explosives, organic peroxides, and easily ignitable materials.

Safety team members should make sure that they maintain separate cabinets from different chemicals, particularly if it is not well-known whether an agent is able to be stored with another. While the outlay may seem prohibitive, the savings in business liability insurance and potential injuries and damage is well worth the insurance.

In closing, the final step to suitable corrosives storage is proper training of staff, particularly new workforce who are still learning the properties of agents they work with. Even though an organization takes the appropriate safety measures by providing corrosives cabinets, mistakes can be made by unsuitably trained workers, and regular training classes need to be in place to offer a strong level of deterrence.

Mike Richards is a safety expert specilaizing in risk management. If you thought this article was helpful, additional information on methods of storing unsafe materials and agents can be found at Industrial Safety Cabinets.