Australia's Science Forum

Good morning!

I have a query regarding storing chemicals- does the AS/NZS 2243.10 stipulate how chemicals must be arranged??

I found documents with suggested shelf patterns on the net which I've used to rearrange our chemicals (stored alphabetically before). As the school's growing so is our chemical stock and would like to make sure I have it right before it gets out of control.

I'd love to hear what others are doing!
Thanks
Sharon

Yes, there are standards but I talked to someone a couple of years back from toxfree and they said it is mainly for the solids and concentrated solutions, but the diluted ones it doesn't really matter. I don't have that anywhere in writing though. My chemical store needs sorting out but my 'stock solutions' that I keep in the prep room I have organised for ease of finding into a shelf of nitrates, one of sulfates, one of chlorides and one of 'other' and they are alphabetical within these groups. Also do a search on here as I have posted links to helpful information on the storage of chemicals in the past.

Thanks Rosalie! Sounds like I'm on the right track

Does anyone label the chemical name on the shelf in the storage room?????

I have the Chemical classes separated in packing groups usually on different shelves.
I don't have the chemical name on the shelf but I do have a photocopied list of what is on each shelf stapled in an obvious place near each shelf.

I used Chemwatch Risk Assessment after i put in my manifest and ti show the hot spots. So I then rearranged the store to avoid those.
I have it arranged in oxidising, reducing, toxic reducing, toxic oxidising, flammable liquids - which are separated into containers because many of them cannot be stored together: flammable solids, again in containers: corrosives are stored in 3 places - two in different corrosive cabinets and the acetic stored in a separate metal container. Nitric live by itself in one of tose corrosive cabinets.
Does that help?