Building size is determined by the amount of hazardous material you are planning to store, the need for occupancy or inspection around these materials. We also recommend consideration of the fluxuation of raw materials in today’s economic climate and size according to possible increases of volume required in the future.

Location of the building can be either inside another building or outside to fit your needs. Fire Separation, which is the amount of fire rating required between two occupancies, or the separation distance between those two occupancies, is determined by the type of chemical or hazard being stored, and distances between buildings, egress pathways, or environmental features. To determine the required fire separation, it is best to consult with your local code authority. Inside another building or within 10 feet of another building, you’ll be required to have a 4-hour fire rating. If your hazmat storage building is located at distances 30 feet or greater your building may not be required to have a fire rating at all.

Start by speaking with one of our experienced Technical Sales Engineers to learn about the needs of your application. They will want to know some basic information:
1) what type of chemicals you are storing?
2) How much of it will you be storing?
3) What proximity to other buildings, people, egress paths, or environmental features will it need to be? 4) Do you require special spill containment? 

From there they’ll ask any related questions that determine additional options; Material Handling – Climate Control – Ventilation – Occupancy – Lights – Sensors – Alarms – Door Styles – Eyewash Stations and other requirements are not uncommon.

Answers to these questions will dictate the building’s fire rating construction as well as anything else you’ll need for proper code compliance.

Our technical sales engineers have a lot of experience that can help guide you through the purchasing process for your compliance needs. However, you will also want to learn more about specific chemical storage requirements in your specific area by contacting your local “Authority Having Jurisdiction” (AHJ). These are officials that could be could be a local fire marshal, a municipal code official, or a city environmental department. 

It is storage designed and manufactured specifically for housing flammable, combustible or corrosive chemicals, hazardous materials (also known as ‘hazmat’), and hazardous waste. 

For more information, visit the Environmental Protection Agencies’ website at the following links:

• EPA’s Hazardous Waste Identification, Characterization and Delisting Information
• EPA’s Hazardous U.S. Chemical Storage Reporting Requirements

Hazmat or flammable chemical storage buildings are designed to store these dangerous materials in safe, segregated, and secure areas, and to prevent or contain chemical fires or explosions, or to contain chemicals from leaking out into the environment in the event of a spill.

The need is largely code-driven based codes from the EPA, OSHA, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and International Building or Electrical Codes.

A fire code inspector, an “Authority Having Jurisdiction” (AHJ), or Insurance Inspector could be any of the people that require the use of one of the specialized buildings and will know the code requirements in your specific location.

Isolate, Mitigate, and Prevent catastrophic damage with a Chemical Storage Building for your hazmat needs.