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 what type of chemicals you are storing? How much of it will you be storing? What proximity to other buildings, people, egress paths, or environmental features will it need to be? Do you require special spill containment?

And 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.

The definition of a “sump” is a pit or reservoir providing containment for spilled liquids. U.S. Chemical Storage offers leak-proof spill containment sumps in each standard model. All our sumps are tested for leaks for a 24-hour period prior to finishing. The sump is then covered by a steel or fiberglass floor grating and can even be equipped with a resistant plastic sump liner to protect against corrosive chemical accidental spills. The size of the sump is dictated by code based on the volume of liquid being stored within the building.