Blog >> Storage and transportation of chemicals

Chemicals need to be transported from one manufacturing facility to another for completing the production cycle and develop commodities for consumption. The chemicals are transported to the intended commodity manufacturing facility from warehouse storage area. Storage and transportation are important segments of the production and distribution of these chemicals as the chances of accidents are quite high. Safe storage and transportation standards have been set by various global and local organizations for companies to adhere to. Proper storage facilities need to be constructed to ensure the chemicals don?t leak or spill inside the warehouse. The storage and transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals are different because of the inherent harmful nature of some chemicals. Special licenses are needed for handling of these chemicals. Some properties of chemicals which deem them hazardous are:

1. Flash Point - The point at which a chemical catches fire in the presence of air.

2. Auto-ignition temperature - The minimum temperature at which the chemical is auto-ignited irrespective of a heat source.

3. Lower and Upper Explosive limits - The concentration ranges beyond which explosion may occur.

All these details including the physical and chemical properties of the chemicals should be provided in the MSDS provided by the manufacturer. The MSDS also provides safety information such as first aid measures, regulations for storage and transportation, spillage measures, personal protective equipment needed etc. It should be referred while handling chemicals.

Factors to consider during storage and transportation of chemicals:

    Air and water should not be allowed to come into contact with chemicals which are reactive.

    All chemicals should be labeled and dated.

    Packaging of chemicals should be intact so as to prevent any leakage.

    Potential ignition sources should be kept away.

    Proper firefighting equipment should be easily accessible.

    Hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals should be separately transported.

    Hazardous chemicals should be secured properly so as to prevent spillage.

Hazardous chemicals are classified as Dangerous Goods and there are nine different classes such as explosives, gases, flammable liquids, other flammables, oxides and peroxides, radioactive substances, corrosive substances etc. Proper care needs to be taken in the handling of chemicals. Example of Dangerous Goods : Hydrogen Peroxide

If you are interested in purchasing chemicals or looking for technical information of chemicals, contact Kimia International by one of the following ways: