What is an environmental cabinet?

An environmental cabinet is a special storage cabinet for workshops and technical spaces where chemicals, hazardous substances or other materials with risk have to be kept neatly and in a controlled way. The difference compared with a normal workshop cabinet lies above all in the function. An environmental cabinet is made to organise the storage of these kinds of products better and to limit risks around leakage, contamination and unwanted access.

In practice, you recognise an environmental cabinet by features that suit that purpose. Think of leak-proof shelves or drip trays, ventilation openings for air circulation, central locking and adjustable shelves. Such elements are not just extras, but make the cabinet suitable for a shop floor where work is carried out with liquids, packaging and substances that you do not want to store among general materials.

An environmental cabinet should therefore above all be seen as a practical and safer storage solution within a professional environment. That also fits with the broader rules around the storage of packed hazardous substances. In the Netherlands, PGS 15 is an important guideline for that. That guideline is intended to limit risks for people, environment and building and makes clear that the storage of hazardous substances requires more than just a lockable cabinet. An environmental cabinet helps to organise that storage better on the shop floor, but which version is appropriate always depends on the type of substances and the way your company works with them.

What to consider when choosing the right environmental cabinet?

You choose an environmental cabinet based on what you store and how that storage fits within your workspace. Not every situation calls for the same version. A good choice therefore starts with the contents and daily use.

• Look at the substances you want to store: The type of packaging and the nature of the materials largely determine which cabinet is suitable.
• Pay attention to the dimensions of the cabinet: The cabinet must fit within the available space and at the same time offer enough storage.
• Check the internal layout: The number of shelves and their adjustability determine how practical the cabinet is in use.
• Assess the load-bearing capacity per level: Especially for heavier packaging, it is important that the shelves are designed for it.
• Check whether leak-proof shelves or drip trays are needed: This is relevant when you store liquids or materials that you do not want to leave loose in the cabinet.
• Pay attention to closure and access control: Good locking helps to store the contents neatly and in a controlled way. This prevents unauthorised persons from being able to reach the contents.
• Check the ventilation of the cabinet: In a workshop where work is carried out with certain substances, air circulation is an important point of attention.

Anyone who looks carefully beforehand at content, layout and use makes a choice that works better in practice.

The function of an environmental cabinet within a professional workshop layout

An environmental cabinet has a fixed function within a professional workshop layout. Whereas other cabinets are mainly intended for tools, general materials or parts, an environmental cabinet is aimed at the controlled storage of materials that you do not want to just put down anywhere on the shop floor. That makes this cabinet a practical solution for the way specific substances and packaging are stored. Various sizes and applications are available. Look at what suits you and the workshop best.

For many workshops, an environmental cabinet is therefore an important addition to the layout. You create a fixed place for storage and prevent materials from ending up scattered around the space. Huvema matches that well with environmental cabinets that fit within a professional environment where order and a logical layout are important.

Which materials and packaging do you keep in an environmental cabinet?

An environmental cabinet is intended for materials that you do not want to store loose among tools, parts or general stock. In broader guidelines around hazardous substances, it furthermore concerns packed substances, which can also include certain waste materials, plant protection products and biocides.

You can think of:

• bottles of chemicals
• jerry cans of liquids
• spray cans
• packed cleaning agents
• lubricants, oils and greases
• colorants and salts
• materials you want to keep separately and lockable on the shop floor

The contents directly influence the type of cabinet that fits best. Small packaging calls for something different from larger jerry cans or heavier stock. The weight per level, the layout of the shelves and the presence of leak-proof shelves or drip pans also play a role then.