Start With the Rules That Apply to You
Storing chemicals in IBC totes, and especially hazardous ones, is covered by workplace safety, environmental, transport and fire rules at several levels of government. Which rules apply depends on the product, the quantity, where you are and how the totes are used. Check current regulations with your local authorities, your fire marshal and your environmental or safety advisor before you set up a storage area.
This article covers general good practice only. It is not a substitute for the product's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) or for advice from someone qualified to assess your site.
Choosing a Suitable Container
Not every tote suits every product. Where a rated container is required, the UN marking on the tote shows the packing groups and the specific gravity the design was tested for, and both must suit the product. The bottle's age also matters, because HDPE ages and some rules limit how long plastic bottles may stay in regulated service.
Chemical compatibility is just as important. HDPE resists many acids, bases and water-based solutions but can be attacked by strong oxidizers and by aromatic and chlorinated solvents. Check the manufacturer's chemical resistance data for your product, concentration and temperature, and ask the product supplier when in doubt.
ABC IBC does not arrange totes for hazardous materials service. If that is your use, source containers directly from a qualified packaging supplier and verify the marking, age and inspection history yourself.
Secondary Containment
Secondary containment is a barrier that catches product if the tote leaks or is damaged. Common options are spill containment pallets sized for one or more totes, bunded or diked areas with sealed floors, and lined berms. Required capacities vary by jurisdiction and product, so confirm them locally; a practical starting point is containment that can hold at least the full contents of the largest tote in the area.
Outdoors, rainwater collects in uncovered containment and reduces its capacity. Either cover the area or remove accumulated water regularly, and treat water from a chemical storage area as potentially contaminated until you know otherwise.
Labeling and Identification
Every tote holding a chemical should be clearly labeled with the product name and its hazards, following the product's SDS and the labeling rules that apply to your workplace and any transport. Keep labels where they can be read from the aisle, and do not cover the tote's UN marking with them.
Many sites also post area signs listing what is stored in each zone and where the SDSs are kept. Your local fire marshal and safety office can tell you what signage is expected.
Layout, Segregation and Spill Planning
Keep incompatible products apart so a leak cannot bring them together: for example, oxidizers away from flammables, and acids away from bases. Leave aisles wide enough to inspect totes and reach them in an emergency. Store totes away from direct sun and heat sources, within the temperature range on the SDS.
Plan for spills before they happen. Keep current SDSs on hand, train the people who handle the totes, and keep a spill kit sized for a tote-scale release near the storage area, with absorbents, suitable personal protective equipment and something to stop a spill spreading.