Hazardous materials can be dangerous when not properly handled. They can explode, corrode, ignite, or otherwise cause damage, depending on the nature of the material. Such can cause injuries to employees and damages to the facility at large. However, you want to avoid these instances.
The below tips will, therefore, help keep your facility safe from such damages.
Invest in Acid Brick Floors
When working with hazardous chemicals like acids, they can spill on the floor. Such spillages can erode the floor. In addition to being unsightly, this is extremely dangerous and could cause an accident for employees.
Therefore, it is a good idea to invest in floors that are not easily corroded. For instance, installing an acid brick floor would be a good idea. These are not affected by exposure to acid. Therefore, once you clean up the area, the floor will remain unaffected. Corrosion from acid spillages can be expensive and time-consuming. You will have to spend on new floors, halting your operations. If someone is hurt because of the damaged flooring, it can turn into an expensive lawsuit.
Install Smoke Detectors
The need to have smoke detectors in your facility is to detect fire incidence. This is a basic safety measure, but it is vital. It can trigger a fire response action to limit the damage before it becomes worse. Such responses can include sprinklers or oxygen suppression systems to put out the fire. Handling both flammable and inflammable materials can be tricky. Exposure to heat or electrostatic charge can ignite them. However, such fires can be detected quickly and handled when you have smoke detectors installed.
Properly Label Containers
Some hazardous materials react when inappropriately handled or mixed. Acids can be explosive when mixed with another. Properly labeling the containers for such materials will help avoid such mishandling. Employees can then quickly identify the right material to use or store. They would also be able to quickly identify those that are explosive and flammable to avoid incidences of fire that would consume the facility.
Properly Store Materials
Poor storage of hazardous materials can lead to fire or explosion. For instance, some flammable materials can easily catch fire when exposed to sunlight or heat. Therefore, it is recommended that they are stored in a cool, dry place away from direct exposure to sunlight. High pressure aerosol cans also need to be stored safely away – Storemasta has a number of solutions available to help with this. Also, corrosive materials should be stored in plastic containers. Avoid using metal or easily corroded containers that would lead to spillage. Fire, spillages, or corrosion would lead to the destruction of items in the facility and injuries to employees and visitors.
Proper handling of hazardous materials in a facility is necessary for the safety of those working there. Also, it protects the facility from having to undergo costly repairs to return it to its initial state. The above four tips can help prevent accidents at your facility.
