Flammable Cabinets

Flammable liquids include kerosene, acetone, diesel, petrol, ethanol, methylated spirit and paint thinners. Our storage cabinets are designed to contain these flammable liquids safely and effectively so that you can keep your workplace, your employees and the environment safe and meet all necessary compliance.

Flammable liquids can be very dangerous if they are not stored correctly. Even tiny amounts of flammable liquid vapours can ignite and harm workers or cause damage, and flammable liquids that are stored incorrectly can explode. This is why it is so important that your flammable liquids are stored correctly. 

Flammable liquid storage cabinets can contain all Class 3 flammable goods, including petrol, methylated spirits, acetone, aerosols and paint thinners, as well as flammable alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Our high-quality, Australian-made cabinets are designed for storing all of the above liquids safely and can be used in all sorts of industrial environments, including factories, warehouses, workshops, loading docks and processing plants.

Your storage cabinet should be kept indoors, on solid and level ground, on the bottom floor of your building. Your cabinets should be kept at least 3 metres away from thermal, electrical, mechanical and chemical ignition sources. 

Yes, you can be fined for improper storage of flammable liquids. The WHS regulations cover hazardous chemicals  (including Class 3) and Australian standard AS 1940:2017 sets out the requirements for the storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids. Having an effective flammable liquid storage cabinet is essential to meet compliance, and you also need to position and maintain your cabinet in the correct way. If you fail to comply with Australian rules and regulations, it can result in injury to workers, damage to the environment and significant fines.

Your flammable liquid storage cabinet should have a full compliance inspection at least annually to a thorough AS1940 inspection checklist, to ensure that it is well-maintained and meets all compliance requirements. If you have any questions about what you need to look out for or what should be included in your inspection checklist, please contact us. 

You should never install cabinets that are used to contain class 3 flammable liquids within 3 metres of an ignition source - and this includes power points and electrical outlets. Sockets and outlets can overheat and spark when they are overloaded or faulty, and this can cause the flammable vapours emitted from cabinets to ignite. Always make sure that your flammable cabinets are at least 3 metres away from all potential ignition sources.

Yes, there are. Larger volumes of flammable liquids come with greater risk, so there are additional safety requirements for cabinets that are larger than 250 litres. These cabinets should never be located inside public buildings, they should never be standing more than 2 metres above floor level, and they should never be placed against a wall that is common with another room unless the wall is made of concrete or masonry. 

Yes, your flammable liquid cabinets are required to have the following signage accordion to Australian Standard 1940:2017:

• ‘NO SMOKING, NO IGNITION SOURCES WITHIN 3m’ - warning with lettering at least 50mm high 
• Class 3 Flammable Liquids - Dangerous Goods label at least 250mm
• Maximum capacity of the cabinet
• Name and address of the manufacturer 
• Name of the Australian distributor (if the cabinet is imported)

Your cabinets need to be installed in an area that has sufficient lighting so that you can see the signage. The signage for class 3 liquids must also be visible at all times, even when the cabinet doors are shut. You also need to remember to maintain your safety signage and replace any missing signs, to ensure you remain compliant with Australian WHS regulations.

If your employees are at risk of skin or eye injury from the liquids stored in your flammable cabinet, you need to have first aid equipment on hand according to the requirements set out in AS 1940:2017 – The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids, AS 4775:2007 — Emergency eyewash and shower equipment and the Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace. To determine whether an eyewash station/safety shower is necessary, you need to conduct a risk assessment on the chemicals you are using, and determine whether or not the chemicals put peoples’ eyes or skin at risk. 

No - you should never load the cabinet past the capacity marked on the front of the cabinet. In order to meet Australian Safety Standards and ensure compliance, you should never overload cabinets - because this will mean that the spill sump can no longer efficiently contain leaks or spills. The maximum capacity for your cabinet is marked on the front of the cabinet - do not exceed it. 

If you have any other questions about our flammable liquid storage cabinets, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We offer an extensive range of spill storage and containment solutions that will keep your workplace safe and compliant. We provide the best flammable storage cabinets Australia has to offer, and we’re always here to help if you have any questions.

If you are storing certain flammable liquids or materials, a flammable cabinet is a requirement for complying with Australian Standards. These cabinets protect flammable substances for a certain amount of time during fire conditions. In addition, these cabinets keep both workers and your facility safe from flammable accidents. 

One of the most important reasons to have a flammable storage cabinet is that many chemicals can cause explosions in scenarios such as fire or other accidents, where the flammable substances are exposed to high heat. In these circumstances, a flammable liquid storage cabinet can keep you and your workers safe and minimise the damage of any possible explosions. 

The answer is no. This is because flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel, acetone and paints are volatile substances that can easily be ignited. Thus, flammable liquids must be treated with care. To put further combustibles near them is to invite risk. Storing combustibles should be done with care and not put in a flammable liquid cabinet, instead going in a filing cabinet or a dedicated PPE cabinet. 

To make sure this doesn’t happen, do not put paperwork, cleaning rags, dustpans, paintbrushes, uniforms, PPR or packaging on or near the flammable liquid cabinet.

According to the Australian standards (AS1940:2017, section 4.9.4), you need to control the risk measures within the cabinet correctly, and this means having cabinet doors that are not just self-closing, they also need to be close-fitting and held shut by catches at two or more points. This is a control measure to help provide a range of safety benefits that include protection from incompatible substances, reducing the risk of spills or leaks, a fire barrier and flammable vapour containment. 

It’s important to make sure that your flammable cabinet is placed well, and in compliance with Australian standards, with this in mind, here is what to keep in mind: 

• Find a place with solid, level ground.
• Consider incompatible liquids and keep them away from the flammable storage area.
• Position your cabinet in a safe and secure location.
• You cannot store more than 850L per 250 m2 of floor space.
• Store only compatible substances within the cabinet.
• Mark the cabinet with the appropriate signage.
• Place the cabinet in a well-lit area. 
• Choose an area away from any ignition sources.
• Choose a location protected from impact or danger.

If you need more information about flammable cabinets, feel free to contact Spill Station anytime, after all, we are the home of the best flammable storage cabinets in Australia.