Page 56 - OHS, October 2020

TRAINING: MATERIALS HANDLING
Mitigate Spill Risks:
Storing and Handling Hazardous Chemicals
With effective liquid control management in place, you can protect workers from exposure and prevent accidental releases into the environment.
BY ANDY BRUNHUBER
Hazardous chemicals can present a major risk to employees and the environment if they are not properly handled and stored. With effective liquid control management in
place, though, you can protect workers from exposure and prevent accidental releases into the environment.
Safety Starts on the Loading Dock
OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) requires that, “all employers with hazardous chemicals in their workplaces must have labels and safety data sheets for their exposed workers, and train them to handle the chemicals appropriately.”
When chemicals arrive at your facility, your employees should be able to assess the potential hazards and have the appropriate PPE and equipment to move the containers safely into your bulk storage area.
Preventive measures like drain covers and spill kits will prepare you for the spontaneous ruptures, accidents or spills that are bound to occur in your offloading or transfer area. Passive secondary containment devices such as berms, decks or pallets are also a must for containers that need to be stored temporarily before they are moved.
Prepare for Unintended
Releases in Bulk Storage
Bulk storage containers, including drums and IBC totes, should be routinely inspected for signs of rust, corrosion or damage. If you discover a container that is not in good condition, repair or replace it as soon as possible to keep potential leaks or spills from harming employees or going down drains and reaching the environment.
In addition to inspecting containers, you should always have secondary containment in place when storing hazardous liquids. Secondary containment is simply a backup system that will catch a leak or spill in the event that the primary container fails. Common examples of secondary containment measures include containment pallets, decks or berming systems which can be temporary or permanent.
Choose your containment methods based on the properties of the liquids being stored. For example, corrosives like acids and bases should be stored on or in plastic. Flammables, including solvents and fuels, should be stored on or in properly bonded and grounded steel containment units to channel static electricity and prevent explosions. You should also separate flammables from any incompatible materials by a distance of at least 20 feet.
You need to consider the volume of the liquid being stored when deciding the type of secondary containment you need. If a leak or spill occurs, the containment should have enough sump capacity to hold either 100 percent of the largest container or 10 percent of the total volume of the liquid being stored—whichever is the larger number.
For example, if you are storing two 55 gallon drums, 100 percent of the largest container is 55 gallons and 10 percent of the total volume of both drums is only 11 gallons, so you should have at least 55 gallons of secondary containment. If you are storing 100 five- gallon pails—or 500 gallons total—100 percent of the
52 Occupational Health & Safety | OCTOBER 2020
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