Are you a business or workplace that uses hazardous substances day to day? It is the responsibility of the employer to make sure they are storing those substances correctly and safely. A good way of storing dangerous substances safely is by investing in a special COSHH cabinet. Or one that comes with COSHH cabinet signage.

You must protect your staff from any potential risk or harm and be aware of COSHH regulations. Most business use substances or products that are mixtures of substances. These may be bleach, paint, chemicals, cleaning products or also solvents. It is highly important that you identify these substances. These may be harmful or dangerous to someone’s health and control them in the correct manner by law.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health is regulated by the HSE. This is to ensure the health & safety of anyone using harmful chemicals. The regulations cover both the use and also storage of these substances. It is especially important to ensure that schools, colleges, or universities follow these regulations. This is due to the varying knowledge of staff and students on the subject.

Therefore, to assist you in making sure you are minimising the risk of fire, chemical exposure or also serious harm. Read our useful guide to buying a COSHH cabinet.

It is easy to identify hazardous substances in the workplace. There may be more than you think.

Substances may be present in cleaning, repair work, maintenance or testing laboratories. Find out what substances are in your workplace. You can do this by reading the HSE guidance relevant to your trade. Or any scientific or technical literature.

All hazardous substances will be listed in the HSE publication online or view HSE brief guide to hazardous substances at work.A good way of storing dangerous substances safely is by using a lockable COSHH cabinet .

Examples of hazardous substances in the workplace are:

• cleaning materials
• bleach
• furniture polish
• floor cleaners
• paints
• solvents
• lubricating oils
• biocides
• flyspray or other pest control substances. 
• You may find these in offices, schools, laboratories, healthcare or also manufacturing. 

Any substance which you can inhale, swallow or absorb through skin and eyes is  hazardous. Therefore, you must store correctly.

Before you store anything in your COSHH chemical storage cabinet, it is a good idea to take an inventory. List all of the chemicals you are intending to store. Include the name of the substance, the hazard class. Also, the amount you are storing. Keeping a regular inventory of your hazardous substances will eradicate misuse and loss. You can make sure you have every substance you need in the right quantities.

It is important to keep hazardous chemicals separate. Separate all chemicals into inorganic or organic substances. Then, separate them into groups with chemical compatibility. Do not store chemicals in alphabetical order. Certain chemicals cannot be close to each other. This is because they may cause a hazardous reaction. 

Make sure you only use a specially made COSHH cupboard to store chemicals in. They are made to minimise risk of harm. It is also essential to divide the hazard classes by distance. Or better, a separate COSHH storage cupboard. This ensures there is no risk of a dangerous reaction. 

Also consider size and hazard class when placing chemicals within storage cabinets. For example, do not store heavy containers above eye level. Do not store corrosive chemicals directly on floors. 

All of our lockable COSHH cabinets have the following features:

• Robust steel construction
• Reinforced doors
• 3 point locking with 2 keys
• Leak proof sump (various capacities depending on size of cabinet)
• Powder coated paint finish
• Anti-bacterial protection
• Conforms to Health & Safety Executive Guide HSG51 & DSEAR 2002
• GHS Labelling
• UK Manufacture

At 3D Storage Systems, we work with the leading factories in the UK. Therefore, we are able to offer top quality products with great prices. We sell COSHH cabinets across the UK and they go into a range of environments. From healthcare and hospitals to schools, laboratories, offices and also factories. Furthermore, our best-selling COSHH cabinets are:

• Full Height Dangerous Cabinet 1830H x 915W x 457D by Elite
• 18 Litre Hazardous Cabinet 910H x 457W x 457D by Elite
• Hazardous Material Cabinet 700 x 900 x 460
• Yellow COSHH Cupboard 900WH x 460W x 460D

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On top of our most popular cabinets, we have a whole host of other sizes. Along with wall cupboards and also floor chests. Our COSHH cabinets are available in yellow or light grey.