While the Australian Standard AS 1940:2017 doesn’t make ventilation of flammable storage cabinets a mandatory requirement, it provides you with the option to do so if necessary.

To ensure that the flammable liquids stored in the workplace pose the least risk to people, property and the environment, it is important to position your cabinet in a safe location.

SC Supply Company is committed to being a leading provider of traffic safety supplies and worker safety products. We deliver high-quality, durable products at low prices to our customers across the US and internationally. We are a certified WBE company with over 22 years committed to providing the best customer experience.

“Flammable liquids are liquids, or mixtures of liquids, or liquids containing solids in solution or suspension (for example, paints, varnishes, lacquers, etc., but not including substances otherwise classified on account of their dangerous characteristics) which give off a flammable vapour at temperatures of not more than 60 °C, closed-cup test, or not more than 65.6 °C, open-cup test, normally referred to as the flash point. This class also includes:

To protect your organisation, the environment and the wider community from the risks associated with flammable liquids, you must store these chemicals in a safe, compliant manner.

Lane addedsign

Now that we’ve outlined the Class 3 Flammable Liquids storage requirements for indoors, we hope you have a good understanding of how to keep your workplace safe and compliant. By following the requirements set out in AS 1940:2017, your organisation will meet compliance obligations for flammable liquids storage —removing the risk of fire, explosion and human harm as well as financial liability due to non-compliance. For more information on how to reduce the risks associated with flammable liquids, simply download our free eBook, How To Reduce The Risk Of Flammable Liquids In The Workplace.

Trafficsigns

By extracting the flammable vapours from the cabinet with a mechanical ventilation system, your cabinet will be within the workplace exposure standard limits. The safe concentration of hazardous vapours greatly reduces the risk of fire, explosion and human harm such as asphyxiation or intoxication.

To prevent these incidences from occurring, it’s important to ensure that flammable storage cabinets are always isolated from potential ignition sources.

Same waytraffic sign

Exclusion Of Ignition SourcesAs we’ve discussed, flammable liquids can easily ignite —causing intense and rapidly burning fires, as well as devastating explosions.

Flammable liquids have a low flash point and can easily ignite if they come within 3 metres of a workplace ignition source.

Side roadTraffic Sign

Living life by the 4 C’s of marketing – communication, coffee, compliance… and more coffee – Leisa Andersen is Storemasta’s Content Marketing Manager. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her enjoying all the good things in life, including shopping, travel and gluten free donuts.

Reduction in lanessign

Section 4.9 of the standard details the requirements for the construction and use of flammable liquids storage cabinets. Let’s have a closer look at these requirements now:

(b) substances that are transported or offered for transport at elevated temperatures in a liquid state and which give off a flammable vapour at a temperature at or below the maximum transport temperature.”

To ensure the maximum safety in the workplace, it’s important to use your cabinet in such a way that it doesn’t impede greater risks to your organisation.

The key purpose of a flammable cabinet is to protect the stored chemicals from fires that are outside of the cabinet. If a ventilation system was installed on a cabinet, there’s a possibility that this protection will be reduced.

However, keep in mind that flammable storage cabinets must be manufactured and used in accordance with strict specifications to effectively minimise your risks. These strict specifications are set out in AS 1940:2017 - The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids.

Merging traffic signmeaning

As you can see in this definition, flammable liquids have a very low flash point, which means that they can easily ignite and cause destruction in the workplace.

To provide adequate protection from the risks associated with storing Class 3 dangerous goods, your flammable cabinet must have a safe and sturdy construction.

Merge LeftSign

Merging trafficAheadSign

To maintain the safety of your cabinet, make sure that staff are trained in how to correctly stack and load the cabinet.

To ensure that everyone in the workplace is aware of the potential hazards associated with the flammable liquids being stored, clear safety signage must be displayed on all indoor flammable liquids storage cabinets. The signs that are required include;

If you’re considering a purchase of a flammable storage cabinet that’s larger than 250L, there are extra requirements to help protect your workplace from the risk of storing greater quantities of flammable liquids.

Having a mechanical ventilation system installed on your cabinet can be part of a risk control measure for your workplace.

When your business is carrying flammable liquids, it’s important that you not only understand the chemical and physical properties of these substances, but how to handle and store them in a safe and compliant way. As volatile substances, Class 3 Flammable Liquids pose serious risks to organisations across the globe — with these chemicals having the potential to cause acute and chronic health issues, as well as fires and explosions. If your workplace handles these dangerous substances, keep reading this blog to get all the info you need about the requirements for Class 3 Flammable Liquid storage indoors.

In addition to this safety signage, the cabinet must also feature signage that includes the name and address of the manufacturer in Australia. The storage capacity of the flammable liquids cabinet should also be clearly displayed for staff to see.

The workplace exposure standards are crucial in determining if your indoor flammable cabinet needs a ventilation system. If the flammable liquids that are stored inside the cabinet are listed in the workplace exposure standards — and the concentration of the vapor from this liquid is greater than the maximum concentration identified — your cabinet requires ventilation.