Why are these cabinets needed?
The NFPA and the IFC have adopted regulations that specify how to properly store hazardous materials. Justrite’s commitment to safety, by providing products in sync with evolving industry demands, led us to create products for our customers to maintain compliance with applicable regulations. An industry first, Justrite’s hazardous material safety cabinets comply with NFPA 1 Fire Code and IFC regulations concerning the storage of hazardous materials. For more details surrounding these requirements, see our TechTALK, Hazardous Material Safety Cabinets – The Regs.
Do I need self-closing cabinet?
Flammable liquid safety cabinets self-close requirement depends on your state's fire code. Hazardous material safety cabinets are required to be self-closed everywhere. As a best practice all safety cabinet should be self-close.
Do I have to store my paints and inks in a red cabinet?
Any flammable liquids safety cabinet we sell is approved for flammable and/or combustible liquids storage. The red cabinets are ideal for approved smaller containers such as paint cans because they come with an extra shelf. Our classic yellow cabinets can be purchased with an extra shelf if you want to store gallon paint cans efficiently.
Does my safety cabinet need to be grounded?
It is necessary to ground a safety cabinet if you are dispensing liquids from container(s) inside the cabinet, and the potential of an ignitable vapor is possible. This is not to preclude one from grounding all cabinets as a best practice. Please see our TechTALK on Safety Cabinet Grounding for further information.
How do I vent a safety cabinet?
Please see our TechTALK on Safety Cabinet Venting
Do you have any performance data on your seismic bracket?
No, we do not have data on the seismic resistance of our seismic bracket when used to anchor safety cabinets to floor or wall applications. It is our intent that the end user, or the end user’s qualified engineer, evaluates this product for use in the end user's particular application. Evaluations vary widely based on building construction and code requirements. Upon request, we will supply your engineer with a structural data kit on the individual components used in the seismic bracket for their evaluation.
Will my modification void the FM Approval and Justrite warranty to a safety cabinet or safety can?
Modifications to any FM Approved products void the approval of that product and the Justrite warranty. The modification falls outside the evaluation for the approval and FM's quality assurance program. Modifications can make a safety product unsafe.
How do I determine the maximum amount of flammable and combustible liquids I can store?
This is a complex subject and requires intimate building information. Unfortunately, for us to discuss the MAQs (maximum allowable quantities) in a control area without a clear understanding of occupancy, special occupancy, control areas, construction of control areas, sprinkler systems, fire doors etc., would be out of context and a disservice to you. Visit NFPA 30 at: NFPA 30 Online Catalog or consult your local authority having jurisdiction for specific guidance on MAQs in your building's area.
Can I leave my containers in boxes and store them in a safety cabinet?
This question is asked a lot. There is nothing in writing to preclude you from having boxes, papers, etc., in a safety cabinet, but we discourage it. This is an area of best practice not addressed by the law. The standards to which a cabinet is tested limit the internal temperature from exceeding 325°F (163ºC) for 10 minutes in a fire test. This is a conservative temperature below the auto ignition temperatures of the liquids being stored. It makes sense that packaging, such as boxes, are made of materials with auto ignition temperatures higher than the 325°F (163ºC) too. But, what can be dangerous is if those boxes become soiled with residues of the flammable liquids which in turn give off harmful, ignitable, or hazardous vapors. Additionally, it is important to avoid storing materials and combinations of material that can spontaneously combust and create fire inside the cabinet, like oily rags and incompatible materials.
Our vote is on the side of best practice, safety, and of tidy housekeeping. We have heard of OSHA inspectors frowning on this practice even in the absence of law.
Can I store nitric acid in a safety cabinet?
Yes, nitric acid should be stored in a hazardous material cabinet with the label identifying "hazard" inside. Nitric acid is not only an acid, but an oxidizer as well. When storing nitric acid, or any corrosives in a cabinet, take special care to neutralize and clean up spills promptly. Use approved containers that are safe closed containers. Containers of nitric acid, or any corrosives, need to be cleaned of residue, and may need to be resealed.
Do I need to keep a safety cabinet up against the wall?
No, our cabinets have been tested and approved as freestanding and can be used in that manner.
Why can I not store 45 gallons in my 45-gallon cabinet?
The actual loading of the cabinet depends on the size and shape of the containers you are using, and no uniform industry standard exists. But as an example, a 45-gallon Justrite safety cabinet holds nine (9) 5-gallon safety cans.
How many piggyback safety cabinets can I stack?
We recommend one piggyback tall.
Are safety cabinets required to have their bung plugs installed?
Yes, it is required to keep the bung caps tightly in place, unless venting. Please reference the TechTALK on Safety Cabinet Venting for further information.
How many gallons will your safety cabinet’s sump hold?
The specifications on a safety cabinet sump state it has to be 2" deep and watertight. The volume varies on the width and depth of cabinets. Minimum volume is not addressed anywhere in the regulations. The sump gives a safe visual indication of a leak issue before it spreads outside the cabinet and becomes a bigger problem.
What types of chemicals should be stored in these cabinets?
These cabinets are intended to store corrosive solids and liquids, flammable solids, organic peroxide formulations, oxidizer solids and liquids, pyrophoric solids and liquids, toxic or highly toxic solids and liquids, unstable (reactive) solids or liquids, and water-reactive solids or liquids. Always ensure that incompatible materials are stored in separate cabinets, and consult your local code authority for any other items in question.
Can I store gasoline and oil in the same cabinet?
Yes:
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.106(d)(3)(i&ii):
Design, construction, and capacity of storage cabinets (i) Maximum capacity. Not more than 60 gallons of Class l or Class ll liquids, nor more than 120 gallons of Class lll liquids may be stored in a storage cabinet.
What does FM Approval mean?
FM Approval is a laboratory registered under OSHA's Nationally Recognized Laboratory program which outlines the responsibility to evaluate and deem materials and equipment as safe. FM has published standards to which they evaluate each product category as safe and in compliance with laws and applicable design standards. They publish a list of approved products available for public reference. They also conduct periodic quality assurance audits to give customers confidence we are providing product of the same quality and design as the product submitted for approval.
Can you supply an SDS sheet (formally MSDS sheet) on your safety cabinets, cans, or other products?
The cans, cabinets, and most other products manufactured by Justrite are defined as an article and therefore is not subject to the requirements of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazardous Communications Standard 29 CFR per 1910.1200(b)(6)(v) to provide a Safety Data Sheet (Formally MSDS).Upon request, we can supply SDS sheets based on the charcoal content of the charcoal filters we supply.
Can I store containers in the sump of a safety cabinet?
Yes. The specifications on the sump only states it be 2-inches deep and watertight. Minimum volume is not addressed. The sump can give a safe visual indication and contain a leak before it becomes a problem, allowing the users to correct the leaking container, and clean up a spill as quickly as possible. There is nothing in writing from OSHA, NFPA, IFC, FM, or UL to limit the use of the sump on a safety cabinet for storage. That is not to say you could not limit its use for storage as an internal safety policy. An official having jurisdiction (State Fire Marshal, Building Inspector Local Fire Chief, etc.) at your site might discourage using the sump for storage. However, there is nothing otherwise to preclude storage in the sump.
How do I clean up a spill in the sump of a safety cabinet, since there is no drain plug?
Cabinets should be inspected often and spills should be cleaned up immediately. The 2-inch watertight sump in a safety cabinet is a required feature to minimize the impact of a spill. We do not have a drain plug in the cabinet's sump, because plugs are vulnerable and can be mishandled. Sorbents and rags for absorption are typically used for liquid clean up.
Can I use sorbents as a preventive measure for spills within a safety cabinet?
Due to its absorbent properties, sorbents are not designed for long-term, unattended use in any closed or confined space. Because fluids absorbed by sorbents will not be rendered less hazardous, less toxic or less flammable when absorbed, sorbents should never be used to line the shelves or sump of a safety cabinet as a preventive measure. Using universal-type socks and pillows that contain a mix of polypropylene and cellulose materials for acids, bases or other unknown liquids are strictly prohibited. Cellulous may react with some acids that could lead to a fire.
