Flame Cabinet Question
My facility uses a lot of 99% isopropyl alcohol. We currently have three flame cabinets, each holding a 55-gallon drum. The issue we have encountered in the past is that team members do not empty the drum. It is also hard to take inventory, and we either have too much or are about to run out. My Solution was to get a 275-gallon IBC and store it in a flame cabinet. Then order 55-gallon drums and pump those into the IBC when we receive them. The search for a flame cabinet or spill containment to hold a 275-gallon IBC has been unsuccessful. I only found one that cost around $20,000. Does anyone know of a company that sells those types of cabinets? I was given a budget of $ 5,000 to find one. I can go for maybe $ 1,000 more, but $ 20,000 is a hard sell. Thank you in advance for any help, and keep safe.
Comments (6)
Per 1910.106, you can't store >60 gallons of Category 1, 2, or 3 flammable liquids in any storage cabinet, so if you wanted to get a bulk container of IPA (e.g., IBC/tote), then you'd need to designate a room for it be stored in that meets the requirements of 1910.106.
Putting an IBC/tote in a cabinet is against OSHA's flammable liquids standard (1910.106), so a 275-gallon IBC tote being stored in a flammable cabinet is illegal.
Thank you for the information, Drew. I was asked to look into storing an IBC, but I wasn't asked if we could have an IBC. It only came up since we can buy IBCs of IPA. I don't know if you can answer me this. We have some of our drums stored in horizontal flame cabinets. The team members don't like them because they have to be so low to the ground to fill the IPA cans, but it's easier to get all the IPA out of the drum. Can we put those on stands to take them off the ground, to make it easier to fill IPA cans?
I did not know about the >60 gallons; however, we also store 1- 50-gallon drum of it as well.
We actually had a Fire Marshal perform an inspection on our facility and provide recommendations. They will likely enjoy you being pro-active.
Depending on the flammable category, you may be able to use a flammable storage shed inside if you have floor space. They also make outdoor sheds that are climate controlled. Google chemical storage building - they are not cheap though. Aside from that, an IBC would need to be stored in a flammable storage room designed with hazardous electrical, more dense sprinklers & possibly explosion proof. NFPA 30 & 497 can be viewed for free nfpa.org