P9 - Describe the precautions needed for the safe storage of gases, oil, acids, adhesives and
engineering materials.
Storage of gases.
Gases should be stored in an external area and that area should have natural ventilation. This is
because if the gas does not have proper ventilation it will gather together and become large in
number. The gas shouldn’t be stored with other gases and should be separated. This is because
when the gases are together, it will increase the chance of hazards taking place and the stored gases
may have an impact on hazardous processes. Another, precautions are that all the gases should be
stored on ground level because if it is stored at a higher level, the impact of gas leakage and fire will
be more dangerous. When gases are stored, you must make sure that the gases are not directly
beneath power supplies or electrical cables. This is because if the gas is leaked, there is a big risk of
the gas and the power supplies coming into each other. Finally, when storing thee gas in must not be
Infront of fire exits, emergency exits or escapes routes. This is not a good storing space as if the gas
happens to leak or catch fire, the exits will be blocked and the people in the building will be trapped.
Storage of oil.
You can store oil tanks above ground or below ground. However, it is recommended to keep the
tanks above ground in the open air. This is because if the oil leaks it would be easily noticed by the
people around. Furthermore, the vapour will just spread into the air and not get trapped. Storage of
oi underground is not recommended because if the tank leaked it will contaminate the ground,
nearby water and kill any of the animals living there. Furthermore, if it caught fire nearby house
basements might catch fire. Another, storage of oil is not to store it in the buildings, but small
amounts can be stored, and no more than one day. This is because if part of the building caught fire
and it spread towards the oil, the oil container will blow up and cause more damage than normal.
For any reason a person is storing oil underground he must leave up 2m to 6m. This is because if
there isn’t a 2m gap between each tank it will be undermining the building foundations. In addition,
places like basement should have 6m gap because this will decrease the risk of a build-up of vapour.
Finally, oil should not be stored near any type of other hazardous subsentence. They should be
separated by a wall and additional 3m to 15m depending on the substance. This is because if one the
oil leaks the separation will prevent other hazardous from contaminating and, if one blows up the
wall will prevent it from blowing the other hazardous substance up.
Storage of acid
When storing acid, you must keep away from water. For instance, you shouldn’t place them under
sprinklers system. This is because if the sprinklers go off, they will react with the acid causing a
reaction. When storing acid, you should store it in a separate room where there are no other
hazardous substances. This is because if they are not stored separately, it will increase the risk of fire
and the fire will cause a lot more damage. Another, precaution is not too store so much acid at one
warehouse in one room, and not to store big packages of acids. This is because storing big quantity
of acids increases the risks of fire and other accidents. Furthermore, when storing other dangerous
substances, the acid could react with them leading to more risk. When storing acid, you must make
sure the storage place is controlling the ignition sources. This is because if the ignition source causes
a fire, the acid will react with it, causing damage and acid to spread. The acid might get in reach with
other dangerous substance. Finally, when storing the acid, you must check the container of the
substance to see if they are any leakage or spillage. If they are leakage or spillage they must not be
stored because it may leak into other hazardous substance and cause a reaction leading damage.