Safety cabinets are a must for any business that uses hazardous materials. A biological safety cabinet protects your employees, products and the environment from dangerous airborne particles that require bio safety containment. A flammable safety cabinet helps prevent fires and explosions by keeping flammable liquids away from heat and sparks with heavy gauge steel. Many safety cabinets have a multi-key locking mechanism, which ensures only authorized personnel have access to the stored materials.

Commercial cabinets are available with a wide range of features, but state laws could determine the type of safety storage you can install. The Uniform Fire Code requires safety cabinets to have self-closing doors, and some fire departments rely on specific colors to designate the storage of flammable materials. When buying safety cabinets, consider the following:

1. Determine if your business is in need of bio safety cabinets, flammable cabinets or both.

2. Research federal, state and local regulations that could require you to buy industrial cabinets with specific safety features.

3. Select the location where your safety storage will be placed and make sure the space can accommodate the necessary cabinets.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find code-compliant safety storage

Many companies design their safety cabinets to strictly comply with federal regulations set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA mandates all safety cabinets have proper ventilation and be constructed specifically to contain flammable and combustible material. Bio safety cabinets must be OSHA certified when they're installed, if they're moved or at least once a year.

I recommend: Browse through a wide variety of safety cabinets that comply with OSHA regulations, and federal and state fire codes at Justrite Manufacturing. Buy yellow flammable storage cabinets with red warning labels at Enviro Safety Products. Find a bio safety cabinet capable of storing materials that require bio safety level 1, 2 and 3 containment at Labconco Corporation.

Buy bio and flammable storage cabinets that fit your space

Whether you need a floor-standing cabinet or one mounted on the wall for your business, a vent is necessary when storing flammable materials. There are also stacking and under-counter models to conserve space. Flammable storage cabinets should be painted yellow and follow the Uniform Fire Code standards. If you're searching for bio safety cabinets, you can find model sizes ranging from bench-top to walk-in.

I recommend: Order flammable cabinets that can be stacked, also called piggybacked, or have a slim design at Global Equipment Company, Inc. The company also offers safety storage chests that can easily transport materials. If you can't afford to lose floor space, purchase an under counter flammable safety cabinet from Correct Products. Find various sizes of bio safety cabinets, including walk-in cabinets, at The Baker Company.

Choose your safety storage features

Decide how many doors your safety cabinets have, how they close and the type of cabinet safety latch. Many models of safety cabinets have doors that open outward, but if you're tight on space, consider ordering cabinets with sliding doors. If your safety cabinet will be placed in a high-traffic area, get cabinets with paddle handles to avoid protruding handles that could snag workers.

I recommend: Search through several models of flammable storage cabinets at Interstate Products, Inc., which offers one- and two-door cabinets in both manual and self-closing options. Limit access to your safety storage by ordering a cabinet with a standard three-point key lock with button latch at Eagle Manufacturing Company. Find 45-gallon flammable safety cabinets with paddle handles at Gempler’s.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When ordering flammable cabinets, make sure the warning labels are reflective so firefighters can easily see them in fire conditions.