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Do Flammable Storage Cabinets Need to be Grounded?

19 Dec 2019 Warehouse Equipment

If you are looking for an answer to the question “do flammable storage cabinets need to be grounded?“, the team from Commander Warehouse can help. At Commander Warehouse, they understand how important it is to ensure that flammable products are being stored properly in the workplace. That is why they carry a selection of different flammable storage cabinets.

Should a Flammable Storage Cabinet be Grounded?

While flammable storage cabinets are not required to be grounded by federal regulations, many manufacturers do provide a built-in grounding lug on their cabinets, generally located on the bottom right side. When it comes to the safe storage of flammables, it is always a good idea to ground the cabinet when possible for safety purposes.

Grounding a flammable storage cabinet is especially a good idea if dispensing or collection processes are taking place within the cabinet, such as pumping out of a drum or pouring waste into a drum funnel. When performing such tasks, it can be critical for the cabinet to be connected to an earth ground and that proper bonding techniques between containers are being followed.

Seismic Protection

If you are working in an earthquake-prone region and want to add extra stability to your cabinet to prevent it from toppling over, a seismic bracket kit allows you to mount the cabinet to either the floor or a wall. In order to prevent damage to the double-walled design of the flammable storage cabinet and to maintain the protection properties of the cabinet, mounting kits do not involve drilling into the cabinet.

Should Flammable Storage Cabinets Have Exhaust Ventilation?

Even though flammable storage cabinets are not required to have exhaust ventilation, most cabinets do come with plugged fittings that allow for ventilation. Exhaust ventilation should only be added to a flammable storage cabinet when the materials in the cabinet warrant it, such as particularly toxic or noxious materials.

In the event that a cabinet needs to be vented, the blowers used must be specified as safe for handling flammable fumes and will need to be installed in a way that evacuates fumes from the cabinet using negative pressure, as this will prevent fumes from being dispensed into the room itself.

If you would like to learn more about whether or not flammable storage cabinets need to be grounded, or if you are interested in one of their flammable storage cabinets, please contact Commander Warehouse at one of their four locations across Western Canada or by filling out a contact form on their website.