OSHA Requirements for Chemical Storage in a High School
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. It was established, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970. The primary purpose of OSHA is to develop and enforce regulations to ensure a safe working environment in public and private organizations. High schools may use chemicals in an instructional classroom, school science laboratory, or for janitorial purposes. High school chemical storage procedures must follow OSHA regulations to ensure the safety of employees and students. According to these regulations, storage of chemicals requires the proper MSDS documentation, storage area and chemical segregation by class.
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Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
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OSHA requires hard copy, on-site availability of the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all chemicals in use and in storage. This documentation usually accompanies the purchased chemical. It can also be obtained through the vendor or the online MSDS database. The MSDS provides the chemical properties, classification, safe handling and storage procedures, and potential hazards. The hard copies should be kept, alphabetically, in a designated file or binder and stored in a place which is easily accessible.
Chemical Storage Area
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The chemical storage area must be secured by lock and key. Chemicals should not be stored in an area or room where students and teachers regularly frequent. They should be kept in a separate, well-lit, ventilated area secured by lock for controlled access. Chemical storage shelving needs to be strongly secured to the wall or floor, contain a raised lip, and be at or below eye level for easy access. Any chemicals, in volumes larger than 250ml must be kept in chemical resistant secondary containers. A fire extinguisher, chemical spill kit and eyewash station should always be present in all areas where chemicals are being stored or regularly used.
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Special Storage Requirements
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Flammable liquids must be stored in a flame-resistant storage cabinet. Acetic acids and flammable liquids have high risk for hazardous chemical interactions with other chemical classes. These chemicals should be purchased and stored in the minimum volumes required for the intended use. Acetic acids must be stored in a locked corrosive resistant chemical cabinet. Flammable liquids must be stored in a locked flammable resistant chemical cabinet. Secondary containment, such as metal safety containers, are also required for the proper and safe storage of these chemical classes.
Labeling
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All chemicals must contain the proper labeling. All chemicals and prepared solutions should be properly labeled according to OSHA regulations. The label information should include chemical name, manufacturer, potential hazard information, date of receipt, date opened and expiration date. Prepared solutions should also contain solution concentration, chemical components, date prepared, and by whom the solution was prepared.
Classification and Segregation of Chemicals
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In storage, the chemicals must be classified and stored first by chemical class, then alphabetically. This regulation is to help prevent hazardous reactions between non-compatible chemical classes, especially in the event of a spill. The chemical classification groups include sulfuric and nitric acids, corrosive acids, corrosive bases, flammables and non-hazardous chemicals. Many commercially provided chemicals are manufactured with color coded labels to make this task much easier. It is a good practice to also color code the storage area to help ensure that removed chemicals are returned to their proper place.
Maintenace
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A minimum of a monthly inspection should be performed of all chemical storage areas. The purpose of this inspection is to ensure that all chemicals are in their proper place and secondary containment where required. This is also the time to remove and properly discard any damaged or leaky containers, chemicals that show signs of corrosion and are past expiration. If volatiles are stored, air sampling should also be performed. For this purpose, a cartridge air sampling kit can be purchased through a commercial source and mailed in for analysis.
Chemical Storage Don'ts
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Chemicals should not be stored on the floor, lab bench, or in fume hoods. Do not ever store or consume food or drink in the chemical storage area. Do not prepare or mix solutions in the chemical storage area.
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References
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