Chemical storage

This guidance is for businesses that store any type of chemicals on their premises.

Chemicals you may store include:

  • cleaning products
  • fertilisers
  • pesticides and biocides
  • insecticides and rodenticides
  • solvents, eg methanol, benzene, toluene
  • acids and alkalis (bases)
  • resins, glues and sealants
  • plasticisers
  • paints and varnishes
  • bleaches and dyes.

The chemicals you store and use could cause pollution if they spill onto land, enter surface waters or groundwater or are released into the air. Many chemical substances are also harmful to human health. If you cause or allow pollution to occur you may be prosecuted and fined. Your business could suffer from lost contracts, production downtime and have to pay clean up costs and increased insurance premiums.

This guidance covers how to store chemicals safely to minimise the risk of pollution and how to store chemicals safely in vehicles, for example if you need to transport chemicals for your work.

If you store oil on your site, including petrol, diesel, fuel oil, lubricating oil, vegetable oils or heavy oils, you may need to comply with the oil storage regulations. See our oil storage guidance for more information.

Oil storage

If you use radioactive materials you must store them safely and securely. See our guidance on radioactive substances for more information.

Storing and disposing of radioactive materials

In this guideline:

Storing chemicals and REACH
Locating chemical storage areas
Chemical handling and deliveries
Bulk chemical storage - tanks and drums
Small-scale chemical storage - cabinets, shelves and vehicles
Temperature-controlled chemical stores
Chemical labelling and information
Avoiding and dealing with chemical spills
Waste chemicals and chemical containers
Further information on chemical storage
Chemical storage legislation