Friday, September 7, 2012

You don't have to be a chemist to learn about Chemical Storage

Storage of chemicals is something that sends a chill down the spine due to the dangerous considerations involved. Chemicals are varied in nature, and while some might be disinfectants or fungicides, others might be dyes and repellents. Chemical storage is a risky task that can put lives to danger if gone awry. That is why it should be done with utmost care, patience and perseverance.

Let’s start with the material you can use for storing chemicals. When looking out for materials, it is necessary to have knowledge of the type of chemical you want to store. The material should be resistant enough to contain the chemical and not cause any sort of reaction. At times, chemical storage tanks may be exposed to adverse conditions. You need to be sure that the material can withstand high pressure and temperature when needed because certain chemicals can be kept only under specific temperature and pressure.

A safe and secure chemical storage is very important because in case of any leaks, the immediate people and their future generations can be very severely affected. Taking the case of Bhopal gas tragedy, one of the world’s worst known chemicals tragedy, almost 20,000 people were directly affected. Methyl ISO-cyanide, a poisonous gas, leaked from the storage. The future generation of those affected are still born with defects, and the breast milk of mother still contains impurities, causing nausea and squint eye to infants. The gravity of the situation really calls for preventive measures, which can only be achieved by good safety devices.

So how should you cope up in case of such deadly accidents such as chemical spills? Well, spill kits are available. As the name suggests, these kits contain all the items you would need in case there is an oil spill or a chemical spill. Chemical spill kits contain yellow coloured elements to signify that it’s a chemical spill kit. In case of any chemical leaks, it contains enough materials that can help you absorb all the stray chemicals that might be flowing out from the container. If you work at a chemical factory, make sure that there are enough facilities available in case of any emergency.

Other forms of commonly experienced industrial disasters are caused by flammable liquids. Flammable liquids catch fire very easily, and they cannot be left unprotected. They need a separate storage in the form of flammable liquid storage cabinet Perth so that they don’t burn and cause fire to other chemicals nearby. At times, a liquid might be flammable at room temperature, and might cause other liquids nearby to burn, causing a chain reaction, and ultimately, a chemical disaster. For companies who deal with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of chemicals daily, storage cabinet is a must. This will not only ensure safety of their workers and employees, but will also ensure that their factory and manufacturing units don’t suffer any damages.

Keeping a handy knowledge of chemical storage will be beneficial even if you have to keep certain common acids at home.

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