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