Cleaning products, solvents, paints, aerosols and other chemicals are among the most common ways a small fire becomes a big one in a workplace. The fix is rarely complicated: store less, store it in the right place, keep it away from ignition sources and from your escape routes, and make sure staff know what they are handling. This guide covers the practical points we look at during a fire risk assessment.
Why chemical storage is a fire risk
Many everyday products are flammable: some cleaning sprays and solvents, thinners, paints, adhesives, fuels, aerosol cans and alcohol-based sanitisers. Their vapours can travel along the floor and ignite from a spark, heater or hot surface. Some chemicals also react badly with each other, or with heat, and a leak can turn a storeroom into a hazard quickly.
Where we most often see problems
- Storage in escape routes. Products kept in corridors, under stairs or beside exit doors. See our article on exit doors and our guide to stockrooms and storage areas.
- Too much stock. Deliveries bought in bulk and stored where they are not needed.
- Storage near heat. Next to boilers, heaters, hot pipes, electrical panels and sunny windows. See plant rooms and boiler rooms and winter heaters.
- Decanting into unlabelled containers, so nobody knows what is inside.
- Mixing incompatible products on the same shelf, such as oxidisers next to solvents.
- Open or damaged containers that allow vapour to escape.
- Cleaning cupboards used as general stores, with mops, rags, cardboard and chemicals together.
A practical storage checklist
- Make a list of every chemical on site and where it is kept. Keep the supplier’s safety data sheets together and available to staff.
- Keep only what you need in work areas and keep the rest in a dedicated, ventilated store.
- Store away from ignition sources, heaters, electrical equipment and direct sunlight.
- Keep escape routes and exits clear. Never store chemicals in a corridor, stairwell or in front of an exit.
- Keep products in their original, labelled containers with lids on, upright and stable.
- Separate incompatible products following the instructions on the label and data sheet.
- Use suitable containers and bunding where there is a risk of spills in larger quantities.
- Have the right extinguisher nearby and make sure staff know when not to use it. See our fire extinguisher service page.
- Take care with rags and waste. Dispose of soaked rags safely and keep waste away from the building.
- Train staff on what they use and what to do in a spill or fire.
Gas cylinders and aerosols
Gas cylinders and pressurised cans need separate thought, because heat can make them dangerous. See our article on gas cylinders and LPG.
Your duties
The Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 expect people in control of premises to take reasonable measures to guard against fire and to protect people, and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to manage risks to staff. Chemicals are also covered by separate chemicals and chemical agents rules, so check the label and data sheet and speak to a competent person if you hold large quantities. Storage is one of the first things we review in a fire risk assessment, and it is a good starting point for your own check using our checklist.
Talk to Safer Solutions
We carry out fire risk assessments, Legionella risk assessments, Legionella sampling, water tank cleaning and fire extinguisher servicing for businesses across Ireland, including Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or send us a message and we will be happy to talk it through.