| If you use or store flammable liquids in your place | | | | made. When purchasing a safety cabinet, make |
| of business, you are required to follow OSHA | | | | sure it meets the NFPA code and is FM approved. |
| guidelines. Failure to do so may result in a hefty | | | | If it is FM approved your insurance inspector will |
| fine, and may very well put your employees and | | | | consider it appropriate and so will the OSHA |
| property at risk. Every year, one of the main | | | | inspector. |
| reasons for fires in the workplace is the improper | | | | Basic characteristics of a compliant safety cabinet |
| storage of flammable liquids. It is estimated to | | | | includeo Doors that manually close tight (Note: |
| cost in the billions of dollars for facility losses alone. | | | | Auto closing doors are required in California)o All |
| So, assuming you decided to stay in compliance, | | | | welded double wall 18 gauge steel constructiono |
| what is required of you becomes the question. | | | | Twin 2" flame arrestor ventso Adjustable leveling |
| According to OSHA (Occupational Safety & | | | | feeto Grounding connectoro Safety signage visible |
| Health Act), all flammable liquids must be stored in | | | | from 30 feet awayo Leak proof sill to contain |
| appropriate containers when not being used at | | | | leakso OSHA complianto NFPA code 30 |
| that moment. Inside storage rooms for | | | | complianto FM approved |
| flammables must be fire resistant, liquid tight, | | | | There are standard colors for differing materials |
| have self closing fire doors, 4" sills and a | | | | for these cabinets. Yellow is for flammable liquids, |
| ventilation system that changes the air over at | | | | red is for paint, green for pesticides and blue for |
| least six times per hour. | | | | corrosives. Each must have a bold label on the |
| If your quantities do not justify a storage room, | | | | front stating the class of ingredient stored inside. |
| then you can store them in safety cabinets that | | | | These safety cabinets come in all sizes, from 2 |
| are designed to NFPA standards. OSHA relies on | | | | gallons to hundreds of gallons and are a good |
| NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) to set | | | | choice if you want to avoid building a block room |
| the standards for how a safety cabinet must be | | | | for the purpose of storing flammables. |