Take Hazard Out of Hazardous Storage

   We don’t stop to realize the consequences of not taking the time to plan out what hazardous materials can do, and how to properly store them. Let me give you an example of what happened recently here in the Phoenix area.
   Initial speculation about an explosion that demolished an entire apartment complex in Mesa, Ariz., centered around a possible meth lab. After a complete forensic exam by the Mesa Fire Department, the real cause of the explosion and resulting loss of property ended up far less exotic.
   It turns out that the explosion occurred in the apartment of a guy storing a couple of full five-gallon LP tanks (the kind used in gas grills) inside of his apartment, because he was afraid someone would steal them if he left them outside. Unknown to him, one of the tanks had a slow leak; the liquid propane filled his apartment while he was at work.
   When the hot-water-heater’s automatic pilot light kicked in, it heated more than H₂O. Fortunately, nobody was killed.
   Don’t laugh too hard and call the guy an idiot; this kind of thing can very easily happen in your shop. Stone fabricators use substances like acetone, alcohol, methylethyl ketone – all high-powered solvents that can flash-ignite in the right conditions.
   Want another example? Most of us use forklifts powered by propane. How do you store your tanks and the other nasty compounds that can ignite in a heartbeat?
   If you haven’t had an OSHA inspection, it’s probably a good – no GREAT – idea to start planning your Volatile Materials Storage Area. And, if OSHA/EPA already made a visit, you’re likely familiar with what I’m going to propose.
   You can take the initiative to organize, catalog and store any and all materials that can be a fire hazard to your employees and facility. Basically, anything that can ignite needs to be isolated in any area designed to prevent, or retard the spread of, fire.
   This can be done in virtually any type of building that is either already standing or in the planning stage. There are a number of measures that can be taken to set up a safe storage area.
   For example, I set up an outdoor area walled off with concrete block on all four sides, with an all-metal overhead roof system. Virtually the entire structure was built of materials that would not burn. I store all of my propane tanks for the forklift, along with my bulk tanks of acetone, alcohol and all other flammable solvents & glues in the “hazard shed.”
   The concrete blocks are poured solid; if a truck backed into the building, the truck would lose the confrontation. The only thing that I haven’t installed is a sprinkler system, which I plan to do his year.
   By doing this, I’ve reduced the risk of fire, and I’ve also helped to reduce the insurance premium for the company. If anything were to ignite, it’s all contained in one area, with no chance of spreading to another structure – because, most importantly, the shed is all by itself in an isolated area on the property.
   Once you’ve set up your own storage area, you should also think about cataloguing the products you’ll be storing. This would also be the appropriate time to develop your MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) book. (Remember that OSHA & EPA usually ask for this on either their first or second visit – you’ll be fined if you don’t have one.)
   The easiest way to put the MSDS book into perspective is this: Just remember what you learned back in high school chemistry class. Anything that is a solid, a liquid, or a gas is a material – and requires a MSDS. This deals with ALL substances, but what’s most important to the subject at hand is the flammability factor. Let’s not forget to include corrosive materials – such as acids like hydrochloric/muriatic, and caustics as well ….
   Something that works in harmony with the MSDS book is a Hazardous Materials Storage display panel for the outside of your building. (If you’ve ever driven on the freeways and seen that little placard on the sides and ends of semi trailers that say stuff like “Warning – Corrosive” and show some poor soul’s hand being eaten away by acid, you know what I’m talking about.) It’s supposed to be displayed in a conspicuous location so that your local fire department has a “heads-up” for what you may be storing inside, if they roll up to your shop in the event of a real fire.
   Along with the placards, a Gold Lock is another safety feature to consider. It is a lock for your gate (if you have a fenced in and lockable property) keyed so that the fire department can get onto your property after hours and on weekends in the event of a fire.
   Not all municipalities require this feature – some may offer a lock-box service with keys accessible by firefighters – and sometimes it is based on overall square footage of your facility and, of course, the type of flammable materials you are storing. But, it’s certainly a good thing to investigate.
   Lastly, for the shop that wants everything in the line of fire prevention, there is the sprinkler system – or, even more exotic, a halon system. These are both heat-actuated fire-extinguishing systems that only work after the start of a fire.
   Conventional sprinklers work with water; Halon uses inert gases such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Halon has been more-expensive than conventional sprinklers, but – as technology advances – costs usually decline.
   Either one would be a suitable system when you can’t build a separate shed or revetment to store your flammables. Remember that, in colder climates, you’ll also need to take freeze-thaw considerations into account for your overall system integrity.
   In any event, the more precautions and safeguards you implement for your shop in the area of hazardous chemical storage, the lower your chances of having a disaster on your hands.
   Until next month – Happy Fabricating!!!
   Kevin M. Padden operates KMPadden Consulting in Phoenix

This article first appeared in the December 2003 print edition of Stone Business. ©2003 Western Business Media Inc.