The storage of flammable and combustible liquids in a laboratory, shop, or building area must be kept to the minimum needed for research and operations. When large quantities of flammable liquids are present in a lab they must be stored in a flammable-liquids storage cabinet. Flammable-liquids storage cabinets are not intended for the storage of highly toxic materials, acids, bases, compressed gases or pyrolytic chemicals.
Storage of flammable liquids outside of a storage cabinet should avoided when possible. Flammable liquids that are not in use should be stored in an appropriate cabinet.
The transportation of hazardous chemicals in laboratory buildings provides the greatest potential for chemical exposure to the building occupants. Spills occurring outside storerooms and laboratories may lead to hazardous concentrations of vapors and gases being distributed throughout the building.
The following guidelines should be observed when transporting chemicals outside the laboratory:
Flammable Liquids
Pyrophoric (spontaneously igniting) Substance
General
Questions concerning hazardous chemicals should be addressed to the Environmental Health and Safety Office at x6342.
Once separated into hazard classes, chemicals may be stored alphabetically.
Stability refers to the susceptibility of the chemical to dangerous decomposition. Ethers, and olefins form peroxides on exposure to air and light. Since these chemicals are packaged in an air atmosphere, peroxides can form even though the containers have not been opened. Write the date received and date opened on all containers of ether.
Unless an inhibitor was added by the manufacturer, closed containers of ether should be discarded after 1 year.
Open containers of ether should be discarded within 6 months of opening. In the Chemistry and Biology Departments, refilled ether cans should be so labeled.
The label and MSDS will indicate if a chemical is unstable.
See Appendix E; Potential Peroxide-Forming Chemicals for a list of chemicals.
Shock sensitive refers to the susceptibility of the chemical to rapidly decompose or explode when struck, vibrated or otherwise agitated.
Some chemicals become increasingly shock sensitive with age. Write the date received and date opened on all containers of shock sensitive chemicals. Unless an inhibitor was added by the manufacturer, closed containers of shock sensitive materials should be discarded after 1 year. Open containers of shock sensitive materials should be discarded within 6 months of opening.
The label and MSDS will indicate if a chemical is shock sensitive. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment when handling shock sensitive chemicals.
Appendix F lists materials that can be shock sensitive.
Chemical |
Incompatibilities |
| Acetic acid | Chromic acid, nitric acid, hydroxyl compounds, ethylene glycol, perchloric acid, peroxides, permanganates |
| Acetylene | Chlorine, bromine, copper, fluorine, silver, mercury |
| Acetone | Concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid mixtures |
| Alkali and alkaline earth metals (such as powdered aluminum or magnesium, calcium, lithium, sodium, potassium) | Water, carbon tetrachloride or other chlorinated hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, halogens |
| Ammonia (anhydrous) | Mercury (in manometers, for example), chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, iodine, bromine, hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous) |
| Ammonium nitrate | Acids, powdered metals, flammable liquids, chlorates, nitrites, sulfur, finely divided organic combustible materials |
| Aniline | Nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide |
| Arsenical materials | Any reducing agent |
| Azides | Acids |
| Bromine | See chlorine |
| Calcium oxide | Water |
| Carbon (activated) | Calcium hypochlorite, all oxidizing agents |
| Carbon tetrachloride | Sodium |
| Chlorates | Ammonium salts, acids, powdered metals, sulfur, finely divided organic or combustible materials |
| Chromic acid and chromium | Acetic acid, naphthalene, camphor, glycerol, alcohol, flammable liquids in general |
| Chlorine | Ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, butane, methane, propane (or other petroleum gases), hydrogen, sodium carbide, benzene, finely divided metals, turpentine |
| Chlorine dioxide | Ammonia, methane, phosphine, hydrogen sulfide |
| Copper | Acetylene, hydrogen peroxide |
| Cumene hydroperoxide | Acids (organic or inorganic) |
| Cyanides | Acids |
| Flammable liquids | Ammonium nitrate, chromic acid, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, sodium peroxide, halogens |
| Fluorine | All other chemicals |
| Hydrocarbons | (such as butane, propane, benzene) Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, chromic acid, sodium peroxide |
| Hydrocyanic acid | Nitric acid, alkali |
| Hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous) | Ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous) |
| Hydrogen peroxide | Copper, chromium, iron, most metals or their salts, alcohols, acetone, organic materials, aniline, nitromethane, combustible materials |
| Hydrogen sulfide | Fuming nitric acid, oxidizing gases |
| Hypochlorites | Acids, activated carbon |
| Iodine | Acetylene, ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous), hydrogen |
| Mercury | Acetylene, fulminic acid, ammonia |
| Nitrates | Sulfuric acid |
| Nitric acid (concentrated) | Acetic acid, aniline, chromic acid, hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen sulfide, flammable liquids, flammable gases, copper, brass, any heavy metals |
| Nitrites | Acids |
| Nitroparaffins | inorganic bases, amines |
| Oxalic acid | Silver, mercury |
| Oxygen | Oils, grease, hydrogen: flammable liquids, solids or gases |
| Perchloric acid | Acetic anhydride, bismuth and its alloys, alcohol, paper, wood, gease, oils |
| Peroxides, organic | Acids (organic or mineral), avoid friction, store cold |
| Phosphorus (white) | Air, oxygen, alkalies, reducing agents |
| Potassium | Carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water |
| Potassium chlorate | Sulfuric and other acids |
| Potassium perchlorate (see also chlorates) | Sulfuric and other acids |
| Potassium permanganate | Glycerol, ethylene glycol, benzaldehyde, sulfuric acid |
| Selenides | Reducing agents |
| Silver | Acetylene, oxalic acid, tartartic acid, ammonium compounds, fulminic acid |
| Sodium | Carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water |
| Sodium nitrite | Ammonium nitrate and other ammonium salts |
| Sodium peroxide | Ethyl or methyl alcohol, glacial acetic acid, acetic anhydride, benzaldehyde, carbon disulfide, glycerin, ethylene glycol, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, furfural |
| Sulfides | Acids |
| Sulfuric acid | Potassium chlorate, potassium perchlorate, potassium permanganate (similar compounds of light metals, such as sodium, lithium) |
| Tellurides | Reducing agents | Matter | Antimatter |
Return to the Chemical Hygiene Plan Index.
Last updated by Brian K. Dokter on May 12, 1997.