Environmental Health & Safety

CHEMICAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

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APPENDIX 8

Storage Rules for Chemicals

Precautions for Chemical Storage

Follow these general guidelines for the storage of laboratory chemicals:

Label all chemical containers.
Read chemical labels carefully before storing a chemical. Storage information is usually provided on the product label or the chemical’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
Provide a definite storage place for each chemical and return the chemical to that location after each use.
Avoid storing chemicals on bench tops. Limit such storage to those used frequently.
Avoid storing chemicals in chemical fume hoods, except for those chemicals in current use.
Store volatile or odoriferous chemicals in a ventilated cabinet or in the cabinet under a chemical fume hood.
If a chemical does not require a ventilated cabinet, store it inside a closable cabinet or on a shelf that has a lip on it.
Do not expose stored chemicals to heat or direct sunlight.
Separate chemicals into compatible groups and store alphabetically within compatible groups using the scheme listed in Appendix 8. Note: Some chemicals of the same category may be incompatible.
Consider the security needs for the chemicals being stored.
Store no more than 10 gallons of Flammable liquids outside an approved flammable storage cabinet. Use National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) or Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved storage cabinets for flammable liquids.
Flammable chemicals requiring refrigeration must not be stored in a standard refrigerator. Rather, use a “flammable storage” or an "explosion proof" refrigerator.
Use spill trays under containers of corrosive reagents (includes acids pH <3 and bases pH >10).
Do not store hazardous liquids or large objects on shelves above eye level.
Secure the lids of the bottles and containers.

Suggested Segregation for Chemical Storage

CHEMICAL GROUPING	STORAGE CONSIDERATIONS	EXAMPLES
FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS & SOLIDS	Store in flammable liquid storage cabinet or in cabinets under fume hoods. Separate from oxidizing materials.	Acetone, Ethanol, Xylene
NON-FLAMMABLE SOLVENTS	Store in cabinet. Can be stored with flammable liquids. Separate from oxidizing materials.	Carbon tetrachloride, Ethylene glycol
POISONS	Separate from all other chemicals.	Sodium Cyanide, Methyl mercury
CARCINOGENS:	Separate from all other chemicals	Diazobenzidine
CRYOGENIC GASES	Store cylinder upright and secured to the wall/bench.	Cryogenic nitrogen
ORGANIC ACIDS:	Separate from mineral (inorganic) acids. Store in non-combustible cabinet. Separate from caustics, cyanides, sulfides.	Acetic acid, Formic acid
INORGANIC ACIDS	Separate from organic acids. Store in non-combustible cabinet. Separate from caustics, cyanides, sulfides.	Hydrochloric acid, Sulfuric acid
OXIDIZING ACIDS	Separate from other acids. Separate from flammables.	Nitric acid, Perchloric acid (this acid requires a special hood)
BASES	Store in dry area. Separate from acids.	Ammonium hydroxide, Sodium hydroxide, Amines
WATER REACTIVE CHEMICALS	Store in cool, dry location. Separate from aqueous solutions. Protect from fire quenching water.	Sodium, Lithium, Calcium hydride
OXIDIZERS	Store in non-combustible cabinet. Separate from flammable and combustible materials.	Sodium nitrate, Sodium hypochlorite, Potassium permanganate
COMPRESSED GASES (Non-Oxidizing)	Store upright in well ventilated area. Separate from oxidizing compressed gases.	Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide
COMPRESSED GASES (Oxidizing)	Store upright in a well ventilated area. Separate physically from flammable compressed gases.	Oxygen, Chlorine, Nitrous oxide
SOLIDS (Non-volatile, Non-reactive)	Store in cabinets or open shelves.	Agar, Sodium Chloride, Sodium bicarbonate
PEROXIDIZABLE MATERIALS	Store in a cool and dry location. Keep away from sunlight	See Appendix 4
PYROPHORIC MATERIALS	Ignites spontaneously in air. Store separately from flammable materials.	Phosphorus, sodium, tributylaluminum
THERMALLY UNSTABLE MATERIALS	Sore in flammable storage or explosion-proof refrigerators.	See Appendix 5
REPRODUCTIVE HAZARDS	Separate from all other chemicals	Analine, benzene, chloroform
NANOMATERIALS	Separate from all other chemicals	Fullerenes
TOXIC SUBSTANCES	Store in a cool, well ventilated area in an unbreakable secondary container. Keep away from light, heat, oxidizing agents, and moisture. Only a limited quantity should be present in a work location.	Beryllium, CDC Select Agents

Unstable Chemicals

Some chemicals decompose, resulting in the formation of explosive products. For example, ethers and olefins form peroxides on exposure to air and light. Peroxides can form even if the containers have not been opened. These chemicals should be dated when received and unopened containers should be discarded after one year through the Environmental Compliance/Hazardous Waste Unit. See the Peroxizable Compounds, Appendix 6, for additional information.

Explosive Chemicals

Some chemicals may rapidly decompose or explode when struck, vibrated, agitated or heated. Some become shock sensitive with age. Refer to the label and the Safety Data Sheet to determine if a chemical has this property. Precautions include:

Write the date received/opened on all containers of explosive/shock-sensitive chemicals.
Discard opened containers after six months, and closed containers after one year.
Work with small quantities and always wear the appropriate PPE.
Examples of explosive chemicals include, but are not limited to:

Azides	Fulmates	Nitros, dinitros, trinitros
Acetylide	Hydroperoxides	Nitrosos
Amine oxides	Hypohalites	Ozonides
Chlorates	Metal alkyls	Perchlorates
Diazo cmpds.	N-haloamines	Peroxides
Diazonium cmpds.	Nitrates	Picrates, picryls

The following are materials known to be shock-sensitive / explosive:

Acetylides of heavy metals	Aluminum ophorite	Amatol
Ammonal	Ammonium nitrate	Ammonium perchlorate
Ammonium picrate	Benzoyl peroxide	Butly tetryl
Calcium nitrate	Copper acetylide	Cumene hydroperoxide
Cyanuric triazide	Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine	Cyclotetramethylenetranitramine
Dinitroethyleneurea	Dinitroglycerine	Dinitrophenol
Dinitrophenolates	Dinitrophenyl hydrazine	Dinitrotoluene
Dipicryl sulfone	Dipicylamine	Erythritol tetranitrates
Fulmanate of mercury compounds	Fulmanate of silver	Fulminating gold
Fulminating mercury	Fulminating platinum	Gelatinized nitrocellulose
Guanyl nitrosamino guanyltetrazene	Guanyl nitrosamino guanylidene hydrazine	Guanylidine
Heavy metal azides	Hexite	Hexanitrodiphenyl amine
Hexanitrostilbene	Hexogen	Hydrazinium nitrate
Hydrazoic acid	Lead azide	Lead mannite
Lead mononitroresorcinate	Lead picrate	Lead styphnate
Magnesium ophorite	Mannitol hexanitrate	Mercury oxalate
Mercury tartrate	Mononitrotoluene	Nitroaminotetrozole
Nitrated carbohydrate	Nitrated glucoside	Nitrated polyhydric alcohol
Nitrogen trichloride	Nitrogen triiodide	Nitroglycerin
Nitroglycide	Nitroglycol	Nitroguanidine
Nitroparaffins	Nitronium perchlorate	Nitrosoguanidine
Nitrourea	Organic amine nitrates	Organic nitramines
Organic peroxides	Picramic acid	Picramide
Picratol	Picric acid	Picryl chloride
Picryl fluoride	Polynitro aliphatic compounds	Potassium nitrate
Potassium nitroaminotetrazole	Raney Nickel Catalyst	Silver acetylide
Silver azide	Silver styphnate	Silver tetrazene
Sodatol	Sodium amatol	Sodium dinitro-ortho-cresolate
Sodium nitrate	Sodium picramate	Syphnic acid
Tetrazene	Tetranitrocarbazole	Tetrytol
Trimonite	Trinitroanisole	Trinitrobenzene
Trinitrobenzoic acid	Trinitrocresol	Trimethylolethane
Trinitronaphthalene	Trinitrophenetol	Trinitrophloroglucinol
Trinitrotoluene	Trinitroresorcinol	Tripyridine
Tritonal	Urea nitrate

This list is provided as a guide and is not all inclusive. Carefully review Safety Data Sheets before working with chemicals.

QUESTIONS or COMMENTS? Contact EH&S at (585) 275-3241 or e-mail EH&S Questions.

This page last updated 7/30/2015. Disclaimer.

Environmental Health & Safety

CHEMICAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

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