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COSHH Cabinets are a wise investment for any industrial workplace. If your premises regularly deal with hazardous chemicals, corrosive & caustic acids, flammables, pesticides, paints or solvents then it is compulsory to have appropriate chemical cabinet storage. The safe storage of dangerous chemicals at work is essential for the environment, health and safety.
Not sure how to choose the right COSHH cupboard? Read our handy guide full of useful tips and advice.
COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. COSHH guidelines are published by the government’s Health & Safety executive and it was designed to reduce the risk posed by hazardous chemicals. The guidelines recommend using a COSHH Cabinet to store substances that are corrosive, irritant, toxic or poisonous. Popular places to use a COSHH cabinet are schools, hospitals, manufacturing, workshops, hotels and kitchens.
If your employees use chemical substances at work, then yes COSHH applies. It is essential to make sure your working environment is safe for all staff. You may want to identify if you are using any of the following hazardous chemicals so you can work towards minimising the risk associated with these substances. The most common hazard classes are:
Flammables & Combustibles: These chemicals can be easily ignited and may present a serious fire hazard. Flammables must be kept away from all ignition sources including direct sunlight, open flames and hot surfaces. Flammables must be stored separately from other hazard classes. Common flammables include methanol, ethanol, acetone, lighter fluid, paint thinner.
Corrosives: Strong acids and bases can destroy human tissue and metals. They can eat away at most things on which it is spilled. Common acids include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, drain declogger (contains sodium hydroxide), wall cleaners. Goggles and gloves must be used when handling corrosives.
Toxics: Toxic chemicals are poisonous and can cause injury or even death. Toxics must be segregated away from other hazard classes in a cool, ventilated area away from light and heat. Common toxics include ammonia, hydrogen fluoride, vinyl bromide, copper sulphate.
Choosing a COSHH cupboard is simple, they come in a range of sizes depending on how many chemicals you need to store which are used in your workplace. Our best selling COSHH Cabinet with 3 shelves is 1800H x 900W x 460D. You may want to consider if you want your COSHH cupboard to be mounted to the wall, this is a practical idea if you are short on space. We have a specially designed COSHH Wall Cabinet which comes with pre-drilled holes to wall mount. You may also work in an environment where chemicals need to be transported between rooms. Our COSHH Mobile Cabinet would suit this application so the cabinet can be wheeled between destinations.
Depending on what type of chemical you are wanting to store, COSHH cupboards come in a range of different colours. The most popular colour for a Hazardous substance cupboard is generally bright yellow. Yellow is eye catching and says ‘caution’. However, COSHH regulations say the cupboard can be any particular colour as long as the signage is correct. We also offer COSHH cupboards in dark grey, white or red. Acid/Alkali COSHH cupboards are usually white and flammable & petrol cupboards are red. Pesticide & agrochemical cupboards come in red and have important ventilation on the front doors. The colour red signifies danger or high risk of injury.
It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the appropriate GHS labels are displayed on your COSHH storage cupboard associated with the chemicals stored within. Explosive has an exploding bomb symbol, flammable has a flame symbol, oxidising has a flame over circle symbol, corrosive has a corrosion symbol, acute toxicity has a skull & crossbones symbol, hazardous to the environment has a dead tree and fish symbol and hazardous to health has an exclamation mark symbol. All of our hazardous cabinets come with the appropriate labels included for you to fit on site.
Absolutely! It is vitally important to keep a COSHH cabinet locked so staff, students or members of the public do not have unauthorized access. You don’t want harmful chemicals or substances getting into the wrong hands. Make sure a person of authority looks after the key which locks your hazardous cupboard and knows exactly the nature of the products stored within.