The risk assessment should identify all personnel and environmental risks linked to storage. Beside hazardous properties of chemicals, the assessment should also take into account:

EUROGIP, Statistical reviews of occupational injuries in European countries (2009). Retrieved, from : http://www.eurogip.fr/en/liste-publications.php?id_theme=27

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Directive 1999/92/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1999 on minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres.Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1999L0092:20070627:EN:PDF

EN 13501-2:2004 Fire classification of construction products and building elements - Part 2: classification using data from fire resistance tests, excluding ventilation services.

Hostile fire is an uncontrolled oxidation reaction between combustible matter and an oxidant. Large amounts of both elements can often be found in a storage facility. Oxygen is the usual oxidant involved in fire, while stored goods (organic chemicals like solvents or polymer pellets), packaging materials (plastic bags or containers) or pallets act as combustible matter. Various sources of energy can start a fire, e.g. a spark, heat, an explosion.

Accidental explosions can be either “physical" or “chemical". A physical explosion can happen when, for example, pressure builds up inside a chemical container. Chemical explosions result from chemical reactions: a decomposition (storage of explosive materials) or the inflammation of an explosive atmosphere (storage of flammable chemicals, of oxidising metal dust, etc.). In some cases, the chemical reaction is essentially combustion. Many dusts of combustible materials as diverse as flour and coal can lead to a risk of explosion at critical concentrations in the air.

To prevent the accumulation of hazardous vapours, the storage facility must be ventilated, with the air renewal rate adapted to the stored chemicals and the activities carried out in the facility. Air inlet and outlet should be placed so as to avoid any ‘dead’ zone.

Toxicological, chemical and physical properties define the hazards of a chemical. However in a chemical storage facility further factors add on: quantity, storage form, proximity of various chemicals, activities carried out in the facility, etc. The following example illustrates this hazard increase: hydrochloric acid and iron fillings, stored separately, are not flammable, yet when they come in contact, their reaction releases hydrogen, an extremely flammable gas, which may cause fire or explosion.

Lastly, among all chemicals categories, liquefied gases constitute a specific hazard. Contact with liquefied gases causes severe frostbites and, even if not toxic, once released, their rapid expansion can locally reduce the oxygen concentration to dangerously low levels and therefore cause asphyxia.

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In this context the employer must inform his/her staff about the risks and preventive measures and provide them with relevant training, including, among others, the following rules of conduct, the respect of which is essential in a chemical storage facility:

Storage racks or cabinets must display chemical resistance. They should also be made from incombustible material so as to prevent the escalation of an incident and the spread of a fire.

Silttrap design

Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) [...]. Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2006R1907:20090627:EN:PDF

EN 13501-5:2007 Fire classification of construction products and building elements - Part 5: classification using data from external fire exposure to roofs tests.

Furthermore, it must be easy to place and remove the chemicals from storage. Therefore, suitable handling equipment must be made available, as necessary.

Further information can be collected from chemical suppliers and prevention institutes or organisations (see links for further reading).

Council Directive 96/82/EC of 9 December 1996 on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances (SEVESO directive). Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1996L0082:20081211:EN:PDF

But the hazard first materialises, when chemicals are spilt, e.g. out of containers. Among numerous causes for a chemical leak are:

Besides these acute effects, a wide range of chronic effects can also occur (such as impaired organ function, allergies and cancers. Contrary to acute effects, the occurrence of those chronic effects does not necessarily depend on the level of exposure: allergies, for example, can be triggered by exposure to very low concentrations of a sensitising agent.

In the event of a fire, quenching water must also not be allowed to reach the sewers. The installation of a specific drain system is therefore recommended.

Directive 94/9/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 March 1994 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1994L0009:20031120:EN:PDF

Any leakage or spill must be contained, so that it does not mix with other chemicals or reach the sewers. The type and capacity of the spillage receiver will depend on the nature and volume of the stored chemicals. Suitable absorbents (neutralising or incombustible) should be readily available in case of small leakages; information on such absorbents can be found under heading 6 ‘Accidental release measures’ of the safety data sheet (SDS).

Aside from these requirements, the whole facility must be sufficiently illuminated, so that labelling can be easily read, and damaged packaging or abnormal occurrences can be detected in time.

Finally, in event of an accident, staff must react quickly and in an appropriate way. The employer must therefore draw up emergency procedures, install emergency and first aid equipment as necessary, and inform and train his/her staff accordingly.

Alongside the planner’s specifications, the chemical storage facility must respect general prevention principles with regard to localisation, building and equipment.

Silt trapsfor drainage

List of national standardisation organisations, where these standards can be purchased: http://www.cen.eu/cen/Members/Pages/default.aspx

Without proper packaging, labelling and an up-to-date safety data sheet (SDS) a chemical should not be accepted in the storage facility. There may be exceptions to this rule: for instance, products for the general public (all relevant safety information must appear directly on their labels) or food additives (in this particular case, safety advice should be requested form the supplier).

Furthermore, the chemical storage must be visibly indicated. Associated hazards must be clearly identified, for instance through appropriate warning signs[2]. The personnel must also be informed about safety requirements before entering the storage location.

A risk assessment supplements the requirement analysis. Preventive measures are derived from its results. This set of data will enable the planner to define building and operating specifications for the storage facility.

Council Directive 92/58/EEC of 24 June 1992 on the minimum requirements for the provision of safety and/or health signs at work. Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1992L0058:20070627:EN:PDF

European standards on fire classification of construction products and building elements: EN 13501-1:2007 Fire classification of construction products and building elements - Part 1: classification using data from reaction to fire tests.

Although the form of Member State legislation and regulations may vary widely in these fields, the objectives are common. Competent national authorities should be consulted in order to get acquainted with the legal provisions in force locally (see links for further reading).

Maximum loads of storage systems must be respected as well as stacking rules. Moreover containers should be stored in such a way that their labelling can be easily read and that a leakage or damage can be easily seen and dealt with quickly.

When they are spilled, chemicals can irreversibly alter soils, streams and ground waters, thus affecting surrounding communities. The nature of the environmental damage caused by a chemical spill depends on its toxicological, physical and chemical properties (form, reactivity, solubility, persistence, bioaccumulation, etc.) and those of the polluted site (permeation properties, etc.), but pollution risk increases with the amount of stored chemicals.

DownpipeSiltTrap

Moreover, if frost or heat can damage products and packaging, air conditioning must be foreseen in the facility. Information on temperature sensitivity can be found in the chemicals safety data sheet (SDS) under heading 7 ‘Handling and storage’.

EN 13501-4:2007 Fire classification of construction products and building elements - Part 4: classification using test data from fire resistance tests on smoke control systems.

All building materials must display chemical resistance, especially towards the stored chemicals. In particular flooring must be damp- and chemical-proof. Moreover, in order to avoid contact with hazardous substances all surfaces should be easy to clean. At the same time a skid-proof flooring will prevent occupational accidents due to falls. Storage facilities should also preferably be constructed of non-combustible materials so as to avoid dissemination of hazardous chemicals, should a fire threaten the storage facility.

List of useful Websites in the field of occupational prevention. Available at: http://www.eurogip.fr/en/liens-utiles.php

Moreover, combustible gases, combustible dust or flammable liquids can form an explosive atmosphere when they are released from their packaging. When such chemicals are stored, further measures must be taken such as:

In order to prevent the risks outlined beforehand, the set-up of a storage facility requires careful planning. Among others the storage facility must:

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First of all, access to the chemical storage facility is allowed only to authorised personnel. Therefore constructive arrangements should be made in order to control access.

Stormwatersilttrap

European standards on fire safety storage cabinets: EN 14470-1:2004 Fire safety storage cabinets - Part 1: Safety storage cabinets for flammable liquids.

Apart from the hazards they represent for workers’ health, stored chemicals may induce hazards for facilities, fauna and flora, and the general public off site.

Chemicals should be stored in their original container. However, if a transfer proved necessary, the chemical should be transferred in a suitable container with proper labelling: chemically, mechanically and thermally resistant, easy to handle with the existing equipment and tools and easy to store with the existing systems.

Located upstream of retention, attenuation and infiltration drainage systems, RIDGISTORMSeparate Silt Traps capture and retain silt and separate out other particles by encouraging settlement in the unit sump, preventing ingress into sustainable drainage systems (SuDS).

SiltTrap chamber

Nearly all industries, including the agri-food industry and the service industry, use chemicals in variable amounts and must therefore store them, as well as the produced chemical waste before disposal. Acting as a warehouse, the storage facility also shelters the chemicals: it protects the personnel and the environment from the effects of a spill, or an aerosol or gas emission. While designing a chemical storage facility, regardless of its size, it is thus essential to take into account all hazardous properties of chemicals, intrinsic or arising from interactions.

The employer has a legal responsibility to protect the health and safety of his/her staff and the environment. He/she must thus assess the risks associated with the chemical storage facility, implement the appropriate preventive measures, control their effectiveness on a regular basis and ensure their maintenance.

The number of emergency exits depends on the facility size and configuration. Escape doors must be designed in such a way that they open to the outside and that they can be opened easily from the inside without the use of any key (installation of panic bars, for instance).

Furthermore when a number of different chemicals are stored, it is recommended to establish an inventory of all stored products as well as a storage plan, to keep them up to date and to have them readily available in case of an accident. These records should inform about the products, their quantities and their location in the storage facility and therefore avoid that the emergency and rescue teams expose themselves to additional risks during their intervention. Then, regular consultation with the local fire and rescue authorities will help them action the appropriate response in case of emergency.

Homemadesilttrap

Particular attention must be paid to the maximum load of racks and cabinets (to be clearly indicated on these). The mechanical resistance of the storage systems must be adapted to the stored goods. In addition, the storage system configuration must prevent any tilting of the containers.

A major information source for the risk assessment is the safety data sheet (SDS) in its up-to-date version. The SDS must be provided to the user by the chemical supplier upon simple request[1].

In order to limit the impact of a fire, preventive measures must be taken, especially when the storage facility contains combustible or toxic material. Those include building and fire-fighting elements such as:

Stored chemicals can also cause accidental fire or explosions. Fire and explosions account for few occupational accidents each year in the European Union, however, when they happen, they often claim lives and have dramatic environmental and economic consequences.

The larger the stored volumes, the greater the hazard. Moreover, unused chemicals become chemical waste, which generates additional risks. As a result, stock must be minimised in accordance with the organisation’s activities, and a ‘first in, first out‘ rule must be observed.

It is important to note that both requirement analysis and risk assessment need to be repeated on a regular basis and whenever a change is introduced in the storage facility or following any abnormal occurrence (incident, accident, health issue). As a result, new preventive measures may have to be defined.

Furthermore access to the facility and its alleyways must be large enough and designed according to the activities carried out (use of handling equipment, for instance). In case of emergency, the rescue teams must also be able to access the storage facility quickly. Thus stairs and steps close to the entrance of the facility should be avoided.

In principle, the chosen location must be solely dedicated to chemical storage. However, small chemical quantities can be stored in workshops and working rooms, when they are required for the activities carried out in these rooms and when a protected area (for instance, an appropriate chemicals storage cabinet, which is ventilated, with its exhaust duct leading outside) is foreseen for that purpose in the rooms (for the set-up of this protected area, a risk assessment must be carried out, as described above).

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Browse the literature library to find all product related literature including technical information, specification documents, datasheets, installation guides and much more.

Browse the literature library to find all product related literature including technical information, specification documents, datasheets, installation guides and much more.

Such incompatibilities are usually described under headings 7 and 10 (‘Handling and storage’ and ‘Stability and reactivity’, respectively) of the SDS[1]. Safety institutes or organisations can also provide useful information about the reactivity of specific substances (see links for further reading).

[2] INRS, Signalisation de santé et de sécurité au travail. Réglementation, 2005. Available at: http://www.inrs.fr/htm/signalisation_sante_securite_travail.html

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A leaked chemical, especially when it is volatile or a gas at room temperature, can cause intoxication. The risk of intoxication is particularly insidious, when the spilt chemical on its own does not have any severe toxicological property but releases a toxic substance when it reacts with the environment or other chemicals stored in the same room (for instance, gaseous chlorine forms, when liquid bleach comes in contact with an acidic solution).

EN 13501-3:2007 Fire classification of construction products and building elements - Part 3: classification using data from fire resistance tests on products and elements used in building service installations: fire resisting ducts and fire dampers.

Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures [...]. Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:353:0001:1355:EN:PDF

Non-binding guide to good practice for implementing Directive 1999/92/EC "ATEX" (explosive atmospheres). Available at http://bookshop.europa.eu/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/EU-Bookshop-Site/en_GB/-/EUR/ViewPublication-Start?PublicationKey=KE6404175

eMars: Database of "major accidents" reported under Seveso, OECD and UN-ECE managed by the Major Accident Hazards Bureau. Available at: http://emars.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.php?id=1

Structural preventive measures are of prime importance for a secure chemical storage. For the protection of workers, the public off site and the environment, however, they need to be supplemented by organisational preventive measures, while operating the chemical storage facility. The objective is to avoid hazardous situations and, in particular, to limit exposure by optimising chemical handling.