Travesty was narrowly averted last week when a chemical leak in Allenstown, Pa. sent 54 people to the hospital. Authorities responded to the factory following reports of an overpowering chemical odor making people sick. Acting in an abundance of caution, the entire plant was evacuated while dozens of employees were sent to the ER for closer observation. Fortunately, none of the injuries appear to be life threatening. Despite a thorough investigation, authorities still don’t know what caused the accidental exposure. Reducing chemical harm should always be a top priority for any industry handling hazardous materials. Our steel-welded chemical storage lockers can keep your workforce compliant by isolating dangerous chemicals from vulnerable property and personnel.
How Chemical Storage Lockers Reduce Potential Chemical Harm
There’s a time and place for everything in manufacturing, including hazardous chemicals. While inherently volatile, dangerous chemicals, such as precursors, lubricants, and degreasers, ensure optimal production and machine performance. While advances in green technologies and artificial intelligence will make the workplaces of tomorrow more environmentally friendly, the demands of the Industrial Age still demand powerful hydrocarbons and toxic cleansers today for sterile and clean workplaces. But ubiquity should come with a measured response. Dangerous chemicals should always be stored in federally compliant storage lockers while not in use and consistently segregated from employees and vulnerable assets.
Learning From the Mistakes of Others
Industry leaders should take note of the Allenstown, Pa. chemical incident. Fortunately, none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, but the company could face federal scrutiny for years to come. The company could be facing millions in fines and civil penalties if their storage regulations and practices do not meet the standard of the EPA and OSHA. Every year, thousands of manufacturers face millions in penalties for improperly storing dangerous chemicals. To be clear, there is no evidence, as of yet, to suggest the company acted irresponsibly in the events leading up to the odor incident. Moreover, the negative press will give the company pause to review company-wide chemical storage practices to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Ancillary industries and manufacturers could also learn from the Allenstown, Pa. fiasco. Negative publicity can do irreparable harm to even the most trusted manufacturers in their respective fields. Moreover, there are the intangibles that must be taking into consideration when examining the scope of any chemical storage incident. For starters, it will take years for community members to completely trust a nearby manufacturer following chemical incidents, regardless of magnitude. Secondly, a participatory company will remain under the watchful eye of federal regulators as OSHA and the EPA is all too familiar with repeat offenders.
Preventing Catastrophe With Steel Preparedness
Negligence is the mother of distance. Unsurprisingly, the majority of violent chemical accidents could’ve been prevented with compliant chemical storage. At U.S. Hazmat Rentals, we understand the ever-changing circumstances of evolving workflow operations depends on versatile protection. Our steel-rated fire-rated and non fire-rated chemical storage lockers can be conveniently and strategically located away from vulnerable personnel without crowding production lines while remaining in proximity for easy chemical allocation and retrieval. Most importantly, our lockers come with a bevy of optional safety features to ensure continuous protection and damage mitigation. Each U.S. Hazmat Rentals storage locker comes with a standard steel sump containment system that prevents dangerous chemicals from leaking out and poisoning employees, as well as the ecosystem. Reducing chemical harm could be your company’s greatest asset. Don’t become another statistic. Invest in compliant steel protection today!
