Leading university chemistry department specifies walk in flammable storage solution

For a fire to take place there needs to be a flammable vapour and a source of ignition. The best way to prevent vapours and fumes occurring is by storing products at the right temperature according to their Safety Data Sheet within a temperature controlled unit. The unit should also include temperature monitoring so the operator is alerted if the temperature rises or falls outside of this range.

While prevention is better than cure it is still important to think about what would happen if a vapour occurs. Many walk in flammable storage buildings have extraction options but care should be taken as to where the flammable vapour or hazardous fumes are extracted. Although it is surprisingly common practice, these vapours should not be pumped out of the rear of a building and forgotten about because if the vapour is heavier than air and an open drain is nearby it would only take a cigarette to be flicked into the drain for a fire to be started. A better solution is for the vapour to be ducted out of the building and taken up to a high velocity cowl to disperse in the atmosphere.

Careful consideration must be given to the extraction system including how many air changes are needed hourly and whether background extraction or lip extraction are most appropriate.

Attention must also be paid to the extraction system including how many air changes are needed hourly and whether background extraction or lip extraction are most appropriate – for example during a dispensing process it is best to take vapour away at source? It is also worth noting that extraction systems are preferable to vents which rely on wind being present.

The worst case for a flammable storage building is a fire breaks out so it is also important to think about how this could occur, including removing all sources of ignition and considering whether static could build up during a dispensing process and therefore whether anti-static flooring is required.

It is also necessary to plan for the eventuality that a fire breaks out and incorporate fire detection, ideally wired to a site’s BMS system, along with fire suppression to deal with the fire. Also, don’t forget to consider what could happen to the store if it is affected by a fire that has broken out elsewhere.

* DSEAR requires employers to assess the risks of fires and explosions that may be caused by dangerous substances in the workplace. From June 2015 DSEAR also covers the risk caused by gases under pressure and substances that are corrosive to metals.