flinnsci.com 699
name, chemical formula and hazard risk. Your “devil”
chemical is now well protected! The metal paint can
may be dropped, kicked or even involved in a fire and
the chemical container inside will not break. Should a
leak occur, the cat litter will absorb the chemical and
the spill will be contained inside the can.
Most “devils” may only be used once or twice
during the school year, but you need to properly
protect and store these chemicals when they are not
being used. Bags and cans are a very effective yet
inexpensive way to protect these “devil” chemicals.
STEP 5: Improve the Chemical
Storage Area Facility
Now that the chemicals have been moved out of the
chemical storage area and into the laboratory, you
have an opportunity to make some improvements
to the chemical storage area. First of all, give the
room a good cleaning. Make sure the shelves are
firmly attached to the wall and in good condition. If
the shelves are not in good condition, some type of
repair or replacement should be made. Check the
shelf clips carefully to make sure they are in good
condition and not corroded. Better yet, replace the
“adjustable” shelves with permanent shelves that will
never collapse. Put “lips” on the shelves to prevent
bottle roll-off. Inspect the rest of the chemical storage
area. Do any other improvements need to be made?
STEP 6: Organize Chemicals by
Compatible Families
Now that the “devil” chemicals have been bagged
and canned and the storage area has been improved,
it’s time to return the chemicals you want to keep
back into the chemical storage area. Before these
SAFETY REFERENCE SEVEN-STEP PLAN
chemicals are moved back in, you must decide how
they are to be stored and organized. In the past,
they may have been stored alphabetically. This is
wrong! Chemicals should be stored and organized
by compatible chemical families. Pages 726–730
of this Flinn Scientific Catalog/Reference Manual
describe how to properly store laboratory chemicals.
Thousands of schools across the United States have
adopted the Flinn Suggested Chemical Storage
Patterns for the storage of their laboratory chemicals.
Many states and insurance com panies recommend
the Flinn Suggested Chemical Storage Patterns as the
preferred method of chemical storage.
First, separate your chemicals into compatible
families by dividing the chemicals into inorganic
and organic families then subdividing them further
into their unique compatible chemical families. For
instance, oxidizers are bro ken into five different
families. Nitrates are stored in Inorganic #3, except
ammonium nitrate, which is isolated. Chromates and
per manganates are stored in Inorganic #8. Chlor ates
and perchlorates are stored in Inorganic #6, and nitric
acid is stored separately in a dedicated acid cabinet.
Before the chemicals are moved back into the
chemical storage area, it is very helpful to label each
chemical bottle with the appropriate compatible
chemical family storage number. It is also helpful to
label each shelf with the compatible family number.
Labeling both the chemical shelving and the chemical
bottles with the appropriate Flinn compatible
chemical family number will allow you to easily
locate and return any chemical to its appropriate
storage location. With out this labeling, you’ll soon find
your chemical storage area in disarray. You make your
own bottle and shelf labels or purchase preprinted
labels from Flinn Scientific, Inc. (All Flinn chemicals
are already labeled with this information.)
STEP 7: Chemical Disposal—
Your Options
Now that your chemicals have been properly bagged,
canned, labeled and placed back into the chemical
storage area using Flinn’s Suggested Compatible
Family Shelf Storage Patterns, your task is now
complete…almost.
As you walk out of the chemical storage area
feeling good about what you have accomplished,
you soon realize you still have all of those chemicals
that need to be disposed of. What are your options for
chemical disposal? Flinn has devoted 30 pages in this
catalog/reference manual to disposal procedures.
First read about your options on pages 731–732, and if
you want to dispose of small quantities of chemicals,
refer to the disposal procedures found on pages
736–753.
We hope our seven-step plan to clean up your
chemical storage area has given you the direction
and courage needed to improve the safety profile of
your school. It’s no small task to clean up a chemical
storage area, but with a well-defined plan and the
support of your school administration, this job can be
done.
Good luck! If you have any questions, please feel
free to call us. We’re here to help!
Seven-Step Plan to Clean Up Your Chemical Storage Area, continued
Seven-Step Plan to Clean Up the Chemical Storage Area Video
Flinn Scientific has created a free online video series
describing a seven-step plan to help you clean up your
chemical storage area. Each video chapter covers one
step of the process, from taking a chemical inventory to
storing chemicals safely and understanding chemical
treatment or disposal options. By following the steps in
each video, you will gain the confidence of knowing your
chemical storeroom is safe and organized. We also provide
suggestions on how to convince your administration to
allocate the time and money necessary for you to take a
chemical inventory and clean up the chemical storeroom.
VISIT FLINNSCI.COM
TO VIEW TODAY!
/flinnsci.com
/FLINNSCI.COM