Storage chemical reactivity hazard

Introduction Chemical reactivity is the tendency of substances to undergo chemical change. A chemical reactivity hazard is a situation with the potential for an uncontrolled chemical reaction that can result directly or indirectly in serious harm to people, property, or the environment. A chemical reaction can get out of control whenever the reaction environment is not able to safely absorb the energy and products released by the reaction. The possibility of such situations should be anticipated not only in the reaction step of chemical processes but also in storage, mixing, physical processing, purification, waste treatment, environmental control systems, and any other areas where reactive materials are handled or reactive interactions are possible. 

Damaging fires are uncontrolled chemical reactions, so fire hazards involving ordinary flammable and combustible materials could be included in the above definition of chemical reactivity hazards. However, this publication seeks to supplement basic fire prevention and protection measures by addressing how to successfully manage other chemical reactivity hazards in the work environment. Consequently, the use of the term "chemical reactivity hazards" in this publication will not include explosion, fire and dust explosibility hazards involving the burning of flammable and combustible materials in air. Storage and use of commercial explosives is also outside the scope of this publication. 

The information in this publication is applicable to many industrial facilities not covered by process safety regulations such as the OSHA PSM Standard and the Seveso II Directive. Many reactive chemicals are not listed as regulated materials, and chemical reactivity hazards include uncontrolled chemical reactions between materials not considered as highly hazardous, or under conditions not typically encountered in storage and shipping. 

If your answer to Question 4 is clearly YES, or if you are unsure of the answer to this question, then start at Section 3.3 of this chapter. (The answer to Question 4 will be YES for most manufacturing facilities and many industrial storage and warehousing facilities.) If your answer is a definite NO, then you are not likely to have any chemical reactivity hazards at your facility, and a system to manage chemical reactivity hazards is not warranted. The information in Section 3.3 can be reviewed as a further check to verify this conclusion. 

Multiple facilities in an organization may have similar chemical reactivity hazards similar storage, handling or processing operations or use similar technologies to control the associated hazards. If so, it may be more efficient for a corporate office or personnel to assume responsibility for some improvement activities such as auditing and research. This can also facilitate communication of incidents and best practices between facilities. 

Spontaneously combustible substances, screening methods, 43 5 Springfield, Massachusetts incident, 7 Startup/full-scale operation, chemical reactivity hazard management, 23-24 Storage... 

For companies engaged primarily in the bulk storage, handling, and use of chemicals identification and prevention of reactive hazards, including the inadvertent mixing of incompatible substances. 

Expand the existing Responsible Distribution Process to include reactive hazard management as an area of emphasis. At a minimum, ensure that the revisions address storage and handling, including the hazards of inadvertent mixing of incompatible chemicals. 

Reactive chemical process safety Systematic identification, evaluation, and control of reactive hazards at all phases of the production life cycle-from R D to pilot plant, change management, and decommissioning and for all types of operations-from storage or manufacturing to packaging or waste processing. 

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