Storage of Chemicals

CONTENTS
Introduction
Australian Standards on the Storage of Chemicals
Physical Location
Chemical Incompatibility
Containment Equipment
Storage Cabinets
Containment Trays
Shelf Liners
Container Material
Quantity and Chemical Storage Limit for Laboratories and other spaces
Environmental Storage Conditions
Temperature
Moisture
Light
Atmosphere
Age
Chemical Deterioration
Explosive Potential

Introduction
Chemical storage is an important part of chemical safety. It is the means by which chemicals
are
 kept viable for a future date,
 prevented from reacting with other chemicals or the physical environment,
 prevented from producing unsafe conditions.
 Minimises risks during an emergency.
Incorrect storage may lead to the deterioration of the material to an impure, unsafe or
explosive condition. The integrity of the container may also be compromised.
Chemical containers are often stored in chemical storerooms, laboratory shelves, laboratory
cupboards and safety cabinets. The risk of accidents, unintended chemical reactions and
generation of unsafe conditions may be influenced by the:
 Location of the containers
 Compatibility of chemicals in the same storage location
 Quantity of chemicals stored in containers and in each location
 Environmental storage conditions, including:
o temperature
o moisture
o light
o atmospheric content (both inside and outside of the container)
 Age of the chemicals and their containers.

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The conditions of storage for unwanted and waste chemicals are also important, as many
incidents have occurred where chemicals awaiting collection for disposal have become
unstable or reacted with each other.
Australian Standards on the Storage of Chemicals
Detailed information relating to the storage of chemicals is available through the relevant
Australian Standards of particular note AS2243.10 - Safety in laboratories: Storage of
chemicals.

Physical Location
Large chemical stores are usually located away from valuable assets, buildings, residences,
public places etc. This is done so that damage can be minimised in the unfortunate event of
a fire, adverse chemical reaction, leak, spill or explosion.
A reasonable distance of separation should be allowed between small stores, laboratory
cupboards and valuable assets. For further advice, contact the Work Environment Group.
It is important to be aware of factors in the local environment that could increase the risk from
chemical storage, and to ensure that storages and such environmental factors are
appropriately segregated. Local environmental factors include:
 Ignition sources
o These include flames, hot sources, sparks and sparking electrical
equipment (switches), or sources of static electrical discharges.
Flammable material should be separated from ignition sources by physical
means or distance. Further information about the storage of flammable
substances is available through AS1940-2004 .
 Ventilation
o Volatile chemicals should be stored in adequately ventilated areas, to
prevent the generation of an explosive atmosphere, harmful atmosphere
or unpleasant odours. For example, diethyl ether, only requires a
concentration of 2 % in air to reach its lower explosive limit. This is
equivalent to 2.5 mL in 30 L (a small cupboard space). Flammable liquids
should not be stored in cupboards beneath laboratory fumecupboards that
have electrical switching equipment such as power points, because of the
risk of igniting an explosive atmosphere.
Regardless of the size or location of a chemical storage area, appropriate safety hazard
management procedures should be in place and available, including:
 An emergency response plan
 Spill containment equipment
 Fire fighting equipment

Chemical Incompatibility
Regardless of the type of storage location (chemical store, storage cabinet, cupboard etc.)
problems can arise when incompatible materials are stored in close proximity (Figure 1).
When storing chemicals consider what would happen if a container leaked or broke - Could it
or would it react with those chemicals surrounding it? As a minimum, chemical compatibility /
incompatibility of the chemicals located below and to either side of each material need to be
considered. For each volatile material, consider - Will the vapours react with other vapours or
chemicals within the cupboard?
Such incompatibilities can easily occur if chemicals are stored in alphabetical order. For
example, methylated hydrocarbons near nitric acid. Materials should be first separated into
compatible classes, then if desired, placed in alphabetical order. A Dangerous Goods Storage
Compatibility Chart and Incompatibility of Common Laboratory Chemicals document are
available to assist in this process.

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 Figure 1: Explosion in a campus laboratory due to storage of incompatible materials
“A corrosive storage cabinet under a fume hood in a university
undergraduate laboratory was the site of an early morning explosion
on April 16, 1997. No one was injured in the incident however the
potential was present for something more serious. Containers of
sulphuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, methanol, bromine and other
materials were present in the cabinet when the explosion occurred.
Storage or mixing of incompatible materials is the probable cause of
the explosion.”
Reference: http://www.orcbs.msu.edu

Containment Equipment
Once chemicals have been sorted by Dangerous Goods Class, consideration should be given
to any need for:
 Storage cabinets
o These are an additional means of safety for chemicals in storage. They have
a double-skinned metal construction, with a trough for containing spills at the
bottom of the cabinet. They are available for flammable liquids and corrosive
substances and must be constructed in accordance with relevant Australian
Standards requirements. Even if a storage cabinet is used, only the minimum
amount of chemicals that are required should be stored in the laboratory.
 Containment trays
o These are usually plastic trays with high sidewalls that are used as an initial
form of containment if a container leaks. Each tray should hold at least the
volume of the largest container placed in the tray. Strong plastic bags may
also be suitable, especially if the material is volatile.
 Shelf liners
o These are an inexpensive option for protecting the shelving material from
damage. Benchkote® is used in many biological areas or where non-
hazardous aqueous solutions are stored.
 Container material
o Harsh or highly reactive materials should be stored in containers of
appropriate composition. For example, strong oxidising agents should be

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 stored in Teflon FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene) or Teflon PFA
(perfluoroalkoxy).

Quantity and Chemical Storage Limit for Laboratories and other spaces
The quantity of hazardous materials should be kept to a minimum for efficient operation.
 This should be, at most, three months demand from a chemical store.
 For a laboratory or workshop, a one-week supply should be adequate.
 Don’t buy a 2.5 L Winchester of solvent if you only need 100 mL. Even if it works out
cheaper per mL, the cost of disposing of unwanted chemicals is often more than the
cost of purchasing smaller containers.
When ordering chemicals consideration should be given to:
 The supply quantities of substances from various chemical stores on campus.
 The rapid dispatch of common chemicals from major chemical suppliers.
Remember that many chemicals have a use-by date, especially once opened. If large
quantities are purchased they may go to waste, and this can end up being more expensive.
Only the smallest container size that will supply the required amount for foreseeable future
should be purchased. If smaller quantities of a material will be used over the year, purchase
the material that way - don’t horde chemicals – they become a significant disposal problem.
The following table is from AS:2243.10 - Safety in Laboratories (Storage of Chemicals).
If the quantities listed in the table below exceed the quantities for any of the dangerous goods
classes then the minor storage quantity for that class has been exceeded.

Max. per 50m2 Max. Container Size Where to store?

Class 3 10 L 5L Labelled laboratory
cupboard
Class 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 10 L or Kg 10L* Labelled laboratory
Class 5.1, 5.2 cupboard
Class 6.1 PG I 10 L or Kg PG I – 10 L or Kg Labelled laboratory
Other 50 L or Kg Other 20 L or Kg cupboard
Class 8 Liquids 20 L 20 L or Kg Labelled laboratory
Solids 50 Kg cupboard
Hazardous 200 L or Kg Liquids - 5L Labelled laboratory
Substances Solids – 20 Kg cupboard
*Note: The package size for these classes should be kept as low as possible; 10 L or Kg of
these classes could pose significant risk.

For example, if you have more than 4 Winchester bottles (3L each) of any flammable liquid
(eg. Ethanol), then those bottles need to be stored in an Australian Standard approved
chemical storage cabinet.

Storage in Cabinets

Each chemical storage cabinet must have a designated person responsible for its
management. Their duties would include ensuring that:
 emergency first aid is accessible and in a working state;
 the storage location appears on the building manifest;
 appropriate emergency spill measures are in place;
 disposal of old and unwanted chemicals occurs regularly;
 the Work Environment Group to be contacted for further advise and risk
assessment.

Chemical storage cabinets for the storage of dangerous goods are intended:
 to protect the contents against damage;

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  to provide segregation between incompatible substances;
 to contain spillages; and
 in the case of fire, to allow at least 10 min for escape of persons or use of
firefighting

In general cabinets shall not exceed 250 L capacity. Cabinets shall comply with the design
criteria in the relevant Standard for the storage of dangerous goods or shall comply with the
design requirements in AS 1940. The capacity of any chemical storage cabinet used in a
laboratory to store chemicals of Classes 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1 or 5.2 shall not exceed 50 L. For
other chemicals, the capacity
shall not exceed 250 L.

Environmental Storage Conditions

The environmental storage conditions can affect the stability of chemicals. The required
storage conditions can be found on the container label or in the Safety Data Sheet for the
material. Environmental conditions that should be considered are:
 Temperature
o Both hot and cold conditions can adversely affect chemicals in
storage. For example, hydrogen peroxide decomposes to release
oxygen at elevated temperature, thus increasing the pressure in the
container. Glacial acetic acid freezes below 16˚C.
 Moisture
o Some chemicals react with or absorb moisture from the atmosphere.
For example, methanol absorbs water vapour and phosphorous
pentoxide reacts with water to produce phosphoric acid.
 Light
o Excessive light can degrade chemical materials. Chemicals are
usually stored in light-proof plastic or dark brown glass bottles.
 Atmosphere
o Some chemicals are air sensitive and require storage beneath a
liquid or beneath an inert atmosphere. Examples of this are:
 White phosphorous, which is pyrophoric (self-ignites in air)
and is generally stored under water
 Picric acid, which is a shock-sensitive explosive and is
desensitised by storage under water.
REMEMBER - After the completion of an experiment, or during breaks in
experimental procedures, reaction products or intermediates may need to be
stored. Any specific storage conditions and labelling that are required should
be addressed before leaving the reaction products or intermediates.

Age
Chemical Deterioration
Many chemicals, especially organic-based chemicals, deteriorate with time. Usually this
deterioration occurs over months or years. Deterioration may result from simple reactions with
oxygen or moisture in the air. The new products formed from such reactions may have greater
hazards than the un-reacted material, and therefore, need to be treated with extra caution.
Deterioration with time can also occur rapidly, and even new chemicals may have an
accelerated rate of deterioration if stored incorrectly.
The Work Environment Group’s hazard alert on chloroform is a good example of age
deterioration.

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Explosive Potential
A wide variety of chemicals can develop explosive potential upon deterioration. A number of
mechanisms can be in operation, such as the production of explosive deterioration products
(e.g. ethers and peroxides) or the production of gases that generate pressure inside sealed
chemical containers.
The first sign of deterioration that is noticed may be changes to the container. If a container
shows signs of:
 internal pressure (a bulging container),
 vacuum (a collapsed container),
 deposits on the lid or stopper (powder or crystalline residue),
 crystals within the liquid, or around the internal neck of a bottle,
 a dried-out solid in the jar, or
 any other signs of decomposition,
that are not present in a newly purchased chemical container, the material may have
decomposed and be unstable. It is best to treat containers in any of the conditions listed
above with great respect - UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THE CONTAINER BE MOVED OR
OPENED. The Budget Unit’s Hazardous Waste Safety Officer or the Work Environment Group
should be contacted for further advice.
The initial simple procedures for dealing with such a circumstance are given in the ANU’s
Standard Laboratory Practices document.

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