Safe Chemical Storage Guidelines: UK COSHH Best Practices

Storing hazardous chemicals isn’t just about tidiness on the shelf; it’s about preventing fires, toxic exposures and costly disruptions. Many incidents stem from simple mistakes—acids stored beside bases, oxidisers near fuels, solvent cans in warm rooms, or unlabeled secondary containers. In the UK, regulators expect robust, documented controls, and insurers increasingly scrutinise how you manage chemical hazards day to day.

The good news is that safe, compliant storage follows a clear logic. Build your plan around UK law and guidance—COSHH, DSEAR and CLP—then apply practical controls: a complete inventory and SDS set, a focused COSHH risk assessment, segregation by hazard and incompatibility, suitable locations and cabinets, secondary containment, ignition control, correct labelling and signage, access management, emergency readiness, waste controls, and ongoing inspection and training.

This guide turns that into a step‑by‑step playbook. You’ll find UK‑specific requirements, proven storage layouts, cabinet and racking choices by hazard class, spill and drainage measures, and scenario tips for laboratories, warehouses, outdoor stores, cold storage and gas cylinders—so you can implement a compliant, auditable system with confidence.

Step 1. Understand UK legal duties (COSHH, DSEAR, CLP and HSE guidance)

Before you design shelves or buy cabinets, anchor your approach in the UK framework. Safe chemical storage guidelines sit on three legal pillars—COSHH for health risks, DSEAR for flammables/explosive atmospheres, and CLP for classification and labelling—supported by HSE guidance such as HSG71 on storing packaged dangerous substances. Together, they expect you to assess risks, prevent or control exposure, and implement practical storage controls you can evidence.

• COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health): Assess risks from hazardous substances and put in place proportionate storage controls that restrict exposure (secure locations, segregation, containment), with arrangements for information, instruction and training.
• DSEAR (Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations): For flammable liquids, gases and dusts, control ignition sources, limit releases, provide ventilation and design storage to prevent explosive atmospheres.
• CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging): Use correct hazard classification and supply labels; ensure container labels and area signage match the SDS and current CLP pictograms.
• HSE guidance (e.g., HSG71): Follow practical measures on segregation, compatible storage, spill containment and emergency preparedness to meet regulator expectations.

Step 2. Build a complete chemical inventory and obtain SDS

A robust inventory is the backbone of safe chemical storage guidelines and COSHH compliance. Catalogue every substance on site—including samples and waste—so nothing sits “off‑record”. Obtain the latest Safety Data Sheet (SDS) from the supplier for each product and store it centrally (preferably digital). Check that container labels match the current CLP classification and the SDS, so storage and signage decisions are based on accurate data.

• Identify precisely: Product/trade name, supplier, and, where applicable, CAS/UN numbers.
• Classify under CLP: Relevant pictograms and hazard statements to drive segregation and signage.
• Quantify and package: Amount held, concentration, container type/material, and largest single container.
• Locate and type: Exact storage location, cabinet/room type, and secondary containment provided.
• Note incompatibilities: Segregation groupings and any supplier/HSE-stated incompatibilities.
• Track lifecycle: Date received, expiry/retest, waste status, and disposal route.

Keep the inventory a single source of truth: update on receipt/issue, reconcile via routine stock checks, and version‑control SDS so the most current guidance informs your storage plan.

Step 3. Conduct a COSHH storage risk assessment

A COSHH assessment for storage turns your inventory into action. Use each product’s SDS to identify hazards and foreseeable events (spills, reactions, fires, pressure build‑up), decide who could be harmed (staff, contractors, responders), and set proportionate, documented controls. Treat it as a living document that changes when stocks, layouts or processes change.

• Gather inputs: Current SDS (esp. Sections 2, 5–8, 9, 10), quantities, container types/condition, and exact locations.
• Characterise hazards: CLP classes (e.g., flammable, oxidiser, corrosive, toxic, environmental) and key physical properties (flash point, vapour pressure).
• Test the environment: Ventilation, heat/sunlight, proximity to ignition sources (DSEAR), drainage paths, floor integrity and racking stability.
• Spot incompatibilities: Acids vs bases, oxidisers vs fuels/solvents, water‑reactives vs humidity, and supplier/HSE‑stated conflicts.
• Decide controls: Segregation scheme, cabinet/store type, secondary containment, temperature control, signage and access limits.
• Plan for emergencies: Spill kits, eyewash/showers, suitable extinguishers, alarms, and clear response roles.
• Record and review: Assign owners, set inspection frequencies, and review after changes, incidents or at planned intervals.

Well‑evidenced assessments are the backbone of safe chemical storage guidelines and demonstrate UK compliance.

Step 4. Design your segregation scheme by hazard class and incompatibility

Segregation is the simplest way to prevent small mistakes becoming major incidents. HSE guidance expects incompatible substances to be kept apart so a single leak, breakage or fire cannot escalate. Build your scheme from CLP hazard classes, then refine by known incompatibilities in each SDS. Aim for clear zones, dedicated secondary containment, and unambiguous shelf/cabinet labelling.

• Use CLP pictograms on shelves/trays: make grouping obvious and auditable.
• Keep waste to the same rules: segregate waste streams exactly as for stocks.
• Never share spill trays across incompatibles: each group needs its own secondary containment.

With your segregation map set, you can now choose locations and room design that physically support these boundaries.

Step 5. Choose appropriate storage locations and room design

Your storage locations should make safe behaviour the default. Under COSHH and DSEAR, rooms must reduce the likelihood of releases, prevent escalation if something goes wrong, and support your segregation plan. Pick cool, dry, well‑ventilated spaces away from processes, traffic routes and ignition sources; for flammables, prioritise areas where ventilation and ignition control can be assured. Avoid direct sunlight and heat sources—both raise vapour pressure and risk, especially for solvents.

• Ventilation first: Provide effective natural or mechanical ventilation appropriate to the hazard; avoid recirculating contaminated air and consider DSEAR zoning for flammables.
• Fire and construction: Use non‑combustible finishes, protect escape routes, and locate larger stocks in dedicated internal stores or external units with clear access for emergency response.
• Surfaces and drainage: Choose impervious, easy‑to‑clean floors and benches; design falls and bunded thresholds so spills can’t reach drains or public sewers.
• Layout and stability: Secure shelving/racking to structure, keep aisles clear, position heavy items low, and keep incompatible groups physically separated.
• Utilities and services: Keep heaters and other ignition sources out; ensure electricals are suitable where flammable atmospheres may occur, and site eyewash/shower and spill kits close by.

Step 6. Specify the right cabinets, containers and racking for each hazard

Translate your segregation plan into hardware that prevents leaks, reactions and fire escalation. UK safe chemical storage guidelines and HSE expectations point to purpose-built cabinets, compatible containers with correct CLP labels, and stable, non‑absorbent racking secured to the structure. Choose equipment that matches the hazard and the environment identified in your COSHH/DSEAR assessment.

• Flammable liquids: Use dedicated flammable storage cabinets with integral spill sumps; site away from ignition sources; dispense from approved safety cans; consider ventilation only where risk assessed.
• Corrosive acids: Store in corrosion‑resistant cabinets/trays; keep separate from bases and incompatible metals; use plastic (e.g., HDPE) bottles where suitable.
• Corrosive bases: Provide a dedicated alkali cabinet; avoid aluminium/zinc fittings; use resistant shelving and trays.
• Oxidisers: Use non‑combustible cabinets/shelving; avoid wooden/organic liners; keep dry and scrupulously clean of organics.
• Toxics/poisons: Keep in lockable cabinets with controlled access; minimise quantities and ensure robust containers.
• Containers: Keep products in original supplier packaging with intact CLP labels; only decant into compatible, dedicated, labelled containers—never improvised or food containers.
• Racking/shelving: Use chemical‑resistant, load‑rated shelves with lips or tray inserts; secure to walls/floors; place heavy drums low; maintain clear aisles and separation gaps.

Step 7. Provide secondary containment and drainage controls

Secondary containment stops a minor leak becoming a major incident. Under safe chemical storage guidelines and HSE expectations, design trays, sumps and bunded floors so a single breakage cannot spread, cross‑contaminate incompatibles or enter drains. Use chemically compatible, non‑absorbent materials, keep containment dedicated to each segregation group, and plan where spilled liquids will flow. For flammables and corrosives, provide integral cabinet sumps or trays; outdoors, protect containment from rain so capacity is not lost.

• Dedicated trays/sumps: Provide under each hazard group so leaks can’t mix across incompatibles.
• Risk‑based capacity: Size to hold the largest likely release (e.g., biggest container or dispensing volume).
• Keep capacity clear: Never store items in sumps; inspect and empty promptly after any spill.
• Protect drains: Seal/label drains; have drain covers or absorbent booms ready before decanting.
• Impervious floors and upstands: Seal joints; use bunded thresholds so liquids can’t escape rooms.
• Bunded decanting points: Decant on trays or in bunded stations; keep spill kits immediately to hand.
• Outdoor stores: Use weatherproof bunds or covers to prevent rainwater reducing containment.
• Include waste: Apply identical containment to chemical waste and satellites.

Step 8. Control environmental conditions and ignition sources

Control the environment so chemicals stay stable and vapours don’t meet an ignition source. Under DSEAR, flammables require effective ventilation and strict ignition control; COSHH and HSE expect you to avoid heat, direct sunlight and damp. Use the SDS (Sections 7 and 10) to set temperatures, humidity limits and other conditions to avoid. These controls sit at the heart of safe chemical storage guidelines in the UK.

• Temperature and humidity: Keep stores cool, dry, out of sunlight; avoid heaters, hot pipework and sinks.
• Ventilation: Provide effective general ventilation; prevent vapour build‑up, especially for flammables.
• Ignition sources: Eliminate smoking, flames, hot work and space heaters; manage hot‑work with permits.
• Electrical equipment: In any DSEAR‑zoned area use suitable equipment and maintain it; avoid sparking tools.
• Limit vapours: Keep containers closed; decant only at ventilated, bunded points.

Step 9. Label containers and sign storage areas correctly

Clear, durable labelling and unambiguous signage are frontline controls in any safe chemical storage guidelines. Use CLP supply labelling to communicate hazards on containers, and mirror those hazards on storage cabinets and room entrances so people know what’s inside before they open a door. HSE expects labels and signs to include hazard symbols, handling instructions and key emergency measures drawn from the SDS.

• Keep supplier labels intact: Product name, CLP pictograms, signal word, H/P statements and supplier details must be present and legible.
• Label decanted containers: Apply a durable workplace label with the substance name and relevant CLP pictogram(s) matching the SDS—never store unlabelled bottles.
• Sign storage areas/cabinets: Display the appropriate CLP hazard pictograms; for flammables add clear “No smoking/No ignition sources” signage; add PPE/emergency symbols where needed.
• Mark waste clearly: Identify contents and hazards, mark as “waste”, and add the date; store under the same segregation and signage rules as stock.
• Ensure visibility and durability: Face labels outward; don’t obscure with tape; use solvent/corrosion‑resistant labels; replace damaged labels and quarantine unknowns.
• Provide information on site: Keep current SDS accessible and post local emergency actions/contacts near the store entrance.

Step 10. Set access control, security and stock management

Controlling who can enter, what they can access and how stock moves is essential to COSHH compliance and central to safe chemical storage guidelines. Keep storage rooms and hazard‑class cabinets locked, limit access to trained, authorised staff only, and run stock like safety‑critical inventory—not general supplies. Build these controls into everyday routines, including out‑of‑hours security and a single, supervised issue point.

• Authorisation and signage: Maintain an approved‑users list, verify training, and post “Authorised personnel only” at entries.
• Locks and key control: Use lockable stores/cabinets with a key or swipe register; never prop doors.
• Supervise others: Escort contractors/visitors; provide a brief induction for the area hazards.
• Secure higher hazards: Keep flammables, toxics and gas cylinders in lockable cabinets/cages; apply tamper‑evident seals where appropriate.
• Minimise holdings: Keep only necessary quantities; apply FEFO (first‑expiry, first‑out) and reconcile routine stock checks with the inventory.
• Track movements: Log issues/returns, decants and waste; maintain a running balance per location.
• Quarantine promptly: Isolate damaged, expired or unknown containers, label clearly and arrange disposal.
• Out‑of‑hours controls: As risk assessed, use alarms/CCTV and include chemical stores in security patrols.

Step 11. Equip for spills and emergencies, and plan the response

Even the best stores have incidents. COSHH expects arrangements for accidents, incidents and emergencies, and HSE guidance (e.g., HSG71) emphasises spill control, first aid and fire preparedness. Build a site‑specific plan using each SDS (Section 4 First‑aid, 5 Fire‑fighting, 6 Accidental release), keep equipment close to risk points, and train people to act quickly without improvisation.

• Right kit, right hazard: Chemical‑rated absorbents, acid/alkali neutralisers, non‑sparking tools, bags/drums for contaminated waste, drain covers/booms.
• First‑aid and decontamination: Accessible eyewash and, where needed, safety showers; maintain, test and keep routes clear.
• Fire readiness: Suitable extinguishers for the hazards present, clear “no ignition” controls, and unblocked access/egress for responders.
• Clear instructions: Posted local emergency actions, contacts and muster points; alarms tested and understood by staff.
• Trained roles and aftercare: Named responders, drills recorded, area isolation/ventilation, hazardous waste disposal, restock kits and review lessons learned.

Step 12. Store and dispose of chemical waste safely

Waste chemicals are subject to the same COSHH expectations and safe chemical storage guidelines as your stocks. Treat every waste stream as a hazardous substance with its own segregation, labelling, containment and access controls. Use the SDS (Section 13) for disposal considerations, keep quantities to a minimum, and plan timely removals via a competent, licensed waste contractor as risk assessed.

• Label and identify: Mark containers with contents, relevant CLP pictograms, “WASTE” and the date; never store unlabelled waste.
• Use compatible containers: Only use chemically compatible, sound containers with tight closures; don’t overfill or vent to room air.
• Segregate waste like stock: Keep acids away from bases; oxidisers away from organics/flammables; separate halogenated from non‑halogenated solvents.
• Provide secondary containment: Dedicated trays/sumps per waste stream; no sharing across incompatibles.
• Control environment: Keep cool, dry, out of sunlight and away from ignition sources; flammable waste in flammable cabinets.
• Set supervised collection points: Bunded, clearly signed “waste stations” near where waste is generated; keep closed between use.
• Never mix or pour to drain: Do not dilute, neutralise or mix unless your assessment and SDS explicitly permit it in controlled conditions.
• Arrange compliant removal: Package and label for transport, secure loads, and retain disposal records within your COSHH documentation.

Step 13. Inspect, maintain and document compliance

Controls only work if you check them. COSHH expects you to monitor and maintain measures, and HSE guidance (e.g., HSG71) looks for documented evidence that storage remains fit for purpose. Build a risk‑based inspection and maintenance regime, fix defects promptly, and keep auditable records that tie back to your inventory, SDS and assessments. Treat deviations, leaks and label issues as non‑conformances, investigate root cause and close out actions—the proof that your safe chemical storage guidelines are active, not shelfware.

• Risk‑based inspections: Define frequencies; verify segregation, quantities and housekeeping.
• Condition checks: Containers, closures, labels, trays/bunds, cabinets, ventilation and signage.
• Emergency readiness: Spill kits complete, eyewash/showers tested, extinguishers accessible.
• Preventive maintenance: Service cabinets, ventilation/extraction and safety equipment by competent persons.
• Document control: Versioned COSHH assessments/SDS, inventory reconciliations and waste records.
• Change and incident reviews: Update assessments after changes, near misses or spills.
• Management oversight: Action logs with owners/dates and periodic internal audits against HSE guidance.

Step 14. Train staff and verify competence

Procedures only work when people know them and can apply them under pressure. COSHH expects proportionate information, instruction and training; safe chemical storage guidelines add a simple test: can each person do the right thing, first time, without supervision? Build training around your inventory, locations and emergency plans, and verify competence rather than counting attendance.

• Role‑based learning: Tailor content for storekeepers, lab staff, managers and responders; include CLP pictograms, SDS use and local rules.
• Induction + toolbox talks: Brief on entry, then reinforce with short, hazard‑specific refreshers after changes or incidents.
• Hands‑on practice: Perform decanting, spill response and eyewash/shower drills where they will occur.
• Competence checks: Written questions, practical observations and supervisor sign‑off for critical tasks.
• Refresher schedule: Risk‑based intervals; retrain after layout/process changes or new substances.
• Authorisation controls: Link cabinet/room access to current competence records.
• Contractor/visitor controls: Issue concise area inductions and escort as needed.
• Records and review: Maintain a training matrix, outcomes and actions; audit effectiveness and close gaps.

Step 15. Apply scenario-specific guidance (laboratories, warehouses, outdoors, refrigerators/freezers, gas cylinders)

Different settings change the risk profile, so apply your COSHH/DSEAR controls to the context, not just the chemical. Use HSE’s principles (e.g., HSG71) as your baseline: segregate incompatibles, control ignition sources, ventilate effectively, keep quantities minimal, and provide robust secondary containment with protected drainage. The following notes translate safe chemical storage guidelines into practical, risk‑based rules for common scenarios.

• Laboratories: Keep only working quantities; store below eye level; never on floors or in fume cupboards; flammables in a cabinet with trays; keep containers closed; position eyewash and spill kits nearby.
• Warehouses: Segregate by hazard/incompatibility using dedicated bays and clear aisle gaps; secure non‑combustible racking; use intact pallets; provide bunded decant areas and protect drains; sign and lock higher‑risk zones.
• Outdoors: Use weatherproof, shaded, lockable stores; bund to retain the largest credible spill; keep away from drains/watercourses; ensure natural ventilation; manage temperature extremes and UV exposure.
• Refrigerators/freezers: Store only sealed, compatible containers on trays; label clearly under CLP; for flammables, use units that minimise ignition sources per risk assessment—never domestic fridges; manage condensate as contaminated.
• Gas cylinders: Secure upright with restraints and valve caps; segregate oxidisers from flammables; ventilate, keep from heat/ignition and traffic routes; protect from weather; separate full/empty and move with suitable trolleys.

Step 16. Map your chemical storage plan and drive continuous improvement

Turn your risk assessment into a living, visual plan people can follow. Create a simple, annotated map that shows segregation zones, cabinet IDs, DSEAR‑assessed flammable areas, secondary containment, ventilation, emergency equipment and escape routes. Tie that map to your inventory and SDS so updates propagate quickly. Then use a light PDCA cycle to keep your safe chemical storage guidelines current, effective and auditable.

• Make an annotated floor plan: Mark hazard zones, incompatibility boundaries, cabinet numbers, bunded areas, drains and shut‑offs.
• Label locations clearly: Shelf/tray IDs and CLP pictograms at point of use; match IDs in the inventory.
• Link map, inventory and SDS: Use unique location codes (or QR where permitted) to pull up the right SDS and local rules.
• Post quick‑reference maps: Place simplified zone maps at store entrances for responders and users.
• Track performance: Set KPIs (e.g., labelling defects, spill response times, missed inspections) and review monthly.
• Manage change: Reassess and update maps after new chemicals, layout changes or incidents; brief affected staff.
• Close the loop: Record actions from inspections/drills, verify completion, and include in periodic management reviews.

Key takeaways

Safe chemical storage is a practical system you can build and prove. Anchor it in COSHH, DSEAR and CLP, then run it through inventory, risk assessment, segregation, suitable hardware, containment, labelling, controlled access, emergency readiness, waste management, inspection and training. For support implementing this, speak to Logicom Hub.

• Start with the law: Evidence COSHH/DSEAR/CLP decisions.
• Segregate by incompatibility, not just hazard class.
• Contain the credible spill; protect drains.
• Control ignition sources and keep stores cool, ventilated.
• Label and sign clearly; maintain SDS access.
• Train, drill, inspect and fix defects fast.