Warehouse safekeeping is one of the most challenging jobs ever. Especially if you are storing hazardous chemicals in it. Past cases have taught us how chemical hazards have caused one of the worst disasters in the history of humankind. That is why we need to be extra careful when dealing with chemical hazards.
One of the most important things to do is safety-proof your warehouse. Put all signboards, smoke detectors and make sure that your warehouse is situated in an isolated area. This is for warehouses that store chemicals because it might otherwise interfere with people’s health.
Moreover, you should also equip your workers with personal precautionary equipment. They should wear PPE kits when dealing with chemicals. This gear will protect them from various diseases. But these are preventive measures. No matter how much one tries, things might go wrong.
As an owner or manager, you should make sure that you have taken preventive measures. If things go wrong, what is the next step? So, what you need is a plan B. With a warehouse that stores chemicals, you always need to be on your toes.
There is no scope of being laid back or irresponsible if you’re dealing with chemicals storage and transport. You need to stay alarmed and keep your eyes and ears open at all times. This will ensure that even if there is a hazard, you will detect it and prevent it as soon as possible.
But what are the signs of identification? This article will help you identify and prevent a chemical hazard!
Learn about the chemicals: Every chemical has its unique properties, and on its own, it might be harmless. But when mixed with some different elements, it can create a hazard. That is why it is important to learn about the chemicals you are dealing with.
Make a list of potentially dangerous elements your chemicals can react with. Then all you have to do is make sure that the chemicals don’t come in contact with these elements.
Know the smell: Most chemicals have a distinct smell with which they can be identified. Know this about the chemical that you’re dealing with. What is the odor? Is it pungent, or is it bitter? How does it behave when it reacts with – (say) water. Knowing this smell helps you stop a hazard by identifying that there has been a spill.
Using bund pallet: The best way to identify a leaking chemical is to restrain it. This helps in multiple ways. First, it will stop the chemical from flowing. If it gets accumulated at one place, a hazard can be avoided.
Moreover, it is of utmost importance that you go on regular checks of your warehouse. This way, you can spot anything that is going wrong. Using a bunded pallet makes a leak more visible. Thus, you will be able to identify a leak easily.
There is more to it. Since bunded pallets are kept at an elevated space, if chemicals leak and spill, there will be a subtle noise as well. This will further help you identify a leak.
Teach your workers: It is not just your job to know which chemical is what. Your workers need to be trained in handling chemicals. This will save their lives and hundreds of others. Dealing with chemicals one doesn’t know about is the biggest hazard.
That is why invest time and money into educating them about the chemicals. Let them identify which chemical does what and so on. Ask them to keep their PPT kits on at all times while dealing with the chemicals. Reiterate that they cannot bring the chemicals out of the containment area, etc.
The key to safely storing chemicals in a warehouse is to keep them in safety cabinets. One must also regulate who can access these cabinets and who cannot. Strictly prohibit workers and visitors from smoking or using electronic gadgets near the chemicals.
Make sure that nobody is breaking these rules. Read up as much as you can on these chemicals to know more about how to handle them. Implementing strict rules might be difficult. But in the end, this is for the greater good. Chemicals can react fiercely with some elements.
Thus you have to make sure that you’re not making a blunder out of ignorance. Knowledge is life-saving in chemical storage or manufacturing warehouses.
