Safe Storage of Oils, Fuels and Chemicals at Work

Storage of Oils and Chemicals

A single uncontained spill can contaminate a watercourse, trigger regulator involvement and incur clean-up costs many times larger than the spilled material was worth. Oils, fuels, solvents, acids, alkalis and a long list of other substances are stored routinely on business premises - in workshops, plant rooms, yards, production lines, laboratories and cleaning cupboards. How they are stored determines whether they remain assets or become environmental liabilities.

What Good Storage of Oils and Chemicals Looks Like

The basic principles apply to most substances:

Containers in good condition. No visible corrosion, damage or leaks. Closures secure. Containers appropriate for the substance - some chemicals degrade plastic, some require specific venting.

Secondary containment. Liquid containers - tanks, drums, IBCs - stand inside a bund or drip tray able to hold at least 110% of the largest container's capacity, or 25% of the total volume stored, whichever is greater. This is a direct requirement of the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations for oil storage above threshold and a sensible precaution for any stored liquid.

Clear labelling. Every container shows what it holds, using CLP hazard pictograms where applicable. Handwritten labels fade, fall off or go missing - printed labels reapplied as needed are more reliable. Any container without a label is a problem.

Compatibility separation. Acids separated from alkalis, oxidisers from organics, flammables from ignition sources. Safety data sheets indicate incompatibilities. If in doubt, keep substances in separate areas.

Spill kits available. Sized for the largest credible spill, located close to storage, checked regularly to confirm contents are present and in date, and accessible to the people who might need them.

Drainage awareness. Storage should not be on unmade ground or anywhere that a spill could reach surface drains or watercourses. Where drains are present, know which are foul and which are surface. Mark drain covers where confusion is possible.

Security. Outdoor storage of fuels and hazardous chemicals attracts theft. A small compound is worth more than an open pallet behind the building.

Oil Storage Regulations

In England, the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001 apply to most industrial, commercial and institutional storage of oil above 200 litres. The main requirements are:

Containers must be strong enough not to burst or leak in ordinary use, stored in secondary containment sized to hold 110% of the largest container or 25% of total capacity, with any fill point, vent or sight gauge inside the containment.

Containment must be impermeable to oil and water, without any outlet that bypasses the bund. Rainwater that collects in open bunds must be removed carefully and tested before discharge.

Scotland has its own parallel regulations under the Water Environment (Oil Storage) (Scotland) Regulations 2006, with broadly similar but not identical requirements - organisations operating across UK nations need to check both.

Storage of COSHH Substances

Hazardous substances that fall under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) have additional storage requirements driven by health risk. Each substance should have a current safety data sheet available on site, a completed COSHH assessment identifying the controls, and storage arrangements consistent with the assessment.

Typical features for COSHH storage include:

• A dedicated COSHH cabinet or lockable cupboard for hazardous substances, ventilated where required by the data sheet.
• Keep stock quantities to what is needed for work in the short term - smaller inventories mean smaller incident consequences.
• PPE for handling and emergency response stored with or adjacent to the substances.
• Arrangements for waste substances that follow the Hazardous Waste Regulations - never mix, use a consignment note, use an authorised facility.

Where substances present both health and environmental hazards - many solvents and cleaning products, for instance - the COSHH assessment and environmental controls need to be coordinated. A single incident can trigger both sets of requirements.

Emergency Arrangements for Chemical Storage

Emergency arrangements should consider what happens if containment fails. A small spill inside a bund is a clean-up job. A large spill that escapes is an environmental incident potentially reportable to the Environment Agency or SEPA.

Practical emergency readiness includes:

• Staff trained to recognise spills and take immediate action - stopping the source, containing escape, notifying supervision.
• Spill kits with absorbents appropriate for the substance - general purpose, oil-specific, chemical-specific - sized and located to be useful.
• Drain covers or pads to prevent spilled material reaching drains.
• A clear reporting route - whose phone, whose email, at what threshold external notification is needed.

Post-incident review and recording on F-ENV7 Spill Record Form (or equivalent), feeding back into controls, training and the aspects register.

UK Legislation

The following UK legislation is directly relevant to the storage of oils and chemicals. Organisations outside the UK should identify the equivalent legislation applicable in their jurisdiction.

• Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001
• Water Environment (Oil Storage) (Scotland) Regulations 2006
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
• Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005
• Water Resources Act 1991
• Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) (England) Regulations 2015

Further Resources

• Environmental Management
• Environmental Spills
• Waste Management - Duty of Care
• COSHH
• Premises Inspection