Chemstore supplies hazardous material storage solutions to rail operators, fleet depots, logistics facilities and other transport organisations across Ireland. Transport sites may hold fuels, oils, cleaning chemicals, flammable liquids, compressed gases, maintenance products and lithium-ion batteries. Irish workplaces must manage hazardous chemical risks under the Chemical Agents Regulations and HSA guidance. Chemstore provides bunded, fire-rated, gas, battery and bespoke storage systems for transport environments.
Transport organisations can have a wide range of hazardous-material requirements depending on the vehicles, infrastructure and maintenance activities carried out on site. Materials may be stored at depots, engineering workshops, maintenance facilities, warehouses, stations, terminals and infrastructure compounds.
Typical materials that may require controlled storage include:
The risks associated with these substances depend on their hazardous properties, quantities, container types and how they are used. Fuels and solvents can create a fire risk, while oils and other liquids can create environmental and slip hazards if released. Acids, alkalis and other aggressive chemicals may require corrosion-resistant containment.
Safety Data Sheets should be reviewed when deciding how hazardous chemicals are stored, segregated and handled on a transport site.
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Chemical Agents) Regulations apply to Irish workplaces where hazardous chemical agents are used or generated. The regulations cover activities involving the production, handling, storage, transport, disposal and treatment of chemical agents.
Transport organisations should identify the hazardous chemicals present at their facilities and assess the risks associated with the activities in which they are used or stored. The assessment should consider the properties of the chemicals, quantities held, information supplied in the Safety Data Sheet and how employees may be exposed.
The Health and Safety Authority also publishes guidance covering the storage of hazardous chemicals, including secondary containment, segregation, ventilation, spill control and the safe management of flammable and incompatible substances.
Where flammable liquids or gases could create an explosive atmosphere, additional requirements relating to explosive atmospheres may also need to be considered as part of the site’s risk assessment.
Storage at a workplace and the carriage of dangerous goods are related but distinct activities. Where an organisation consigns, packs, loads, carries or unloads dangerous goods by road, Ireland’s carriage-of-dangerous-goods regulations and the ADR framework may also apply.
ADR contains requirements covering areas such as classification, packaging, tanks, consignment procedures, loading, unloading, handling, vehicles, documentation and training. The precise obligations depend on the materials, quantities and transport activity involved.
A chemical store should therefore be considered as one part of a wider hazardous-material management system where dangerous goods are also being transported to or from the site.
Transport sites can require several different types of storage because fuels, maintenance chemicals, gases, batteries and engineering materials have different hazards. Chemstore can provide individual storage units or develop a site-specific solution around the materials and infrastructure present.
Drums and IBCs containing oils, lubricants, coolants, cleaning chemicals and other hazardous liquids may require secondary containment so that a leaking container can be controlled within the storage area.
Chemstore’s Hazvault range provides bunded storage for drums, IBCs and packaged hazardous liquids. Units are available in standard sizes and can also be adapted around the space available at a depot, workshop or infrastructure site.
Solvents, fuels, paints, thinners and other flammable materials may require dedicated fire-rated storage depending on the substances, quantities and proposed location.
The Firevault range provides fire-rated and bunded storage for flammable materials and can be configured for drums, IBCs, pallets and walk-in applications.
Acids, alkalis and other corrosive chemicals require containment that is compatible with the substances being stored. A standard steel bund may not be appropriate for every aggressive chemical.
Chemstore’s Corvault range is specifically designed for corrosive chemical storage and can incorporate corrosion-resistant containment and finishes appropriate to the materials being held.
Transport maintenance facilities may use compressed gases for welding, cutting, engineering, calibration and other workshop activities.
The Gasvault range provides secure, ventilated gas-cylinder storage in standard and bespoke configurations. The appropriate arrangement depends on the gases, cylinder quantities and activities carried out at the facility.
Lithium-ion batteries are becoming increasingly important across transport. They may be used in electric vehicles, maintenance equipment, power tools, communications equipment, mobility systems and other battery-powered assets.
Chemstore’s Electrovault range provides dedicated lithium-ion battery storage and charging solutions that can be configured around the batteries, equipment and operating requirements of an individual site.
Where a transport organisation is reviewing an existing battery area, Chemstore can also carry out a Lithium-Ion Battery Storage Site Survey covering storage, charging arrangements, fire controls and emergency planning.
Not every transport-sector storage requirement involves chemicals. Rail, communications and infrastructure operators can also require secure, weather-resistant and temperature-controlled enclosures for electrical, telecommunications and other critical equipment.
Chemstore can design and manufacture bespoke modular enclosures around the equipment, environmental conditions and technical specification required by the operator.
Chemstore has previously worked with Iarnród Éireann on a national project to manufacture telecommunications equipment rooms for use at locations across the Irish rail network.
The project formed part of a two-year national contract and required Chemstore to manage the units from design through manufacture and delivery. The relocatable equipment rooms were developed to house railway telecommunications equipment and technology at infrastructure locations.
Each standard room incorporated environmental and safety features including heating and cooling, a fire alarm system and emergency lighting, with the overall design produced against the technical requirements supplied by Iarnród Éireann.
The project demonstrates Chemstore’s ability to manufacture site-specific infrastructure for the transport sector where a standard hazardous-material store or equipment enclosure is not suitable.
Transport and maintenance sites can hold significant volumes of oils, fuels and other hazardous liquids. If a drum, IBC or container fails, secondary containment can prevent the liquid spreading across the workplace or reaching surrounding drains, soil or water.
The required containment should be selected around the substances being stored and their compatibility with the bund material. Different chemicals may also need to be segregated so that incompatible substances cannot mix if more than one container leaks.
Chemstore engineers can review the Safety Data Sheets for the materials being held before specifying an appropriate containment system.
Battery storage should be based on the type, quantity and condition of the batteries and the activities being carried out. New batteries awaiting use, batteries being charged, damaged batteries and batteries awaiting disposal can present different risks and may require different controls.
The location of charging areas, separation from other combustible materials, fire detection and emergency response arrangements should also form part of the site’s battery risk assessment.
Where batteries are used extensively across a transport operation, dedicated storage can provide greater control than allowing batteries and charging equipment to accumulate in workshops, stores or general-purpose areas.
The process begins with identifying the hazardous materials being held and understanding how they are used. Chemstore engineers can review Safety Data Sheets and assess factors including hazard classification, flash point, chemical compatibility, quantities, container sizes and storage conditions.
The layout and operation of the site are equally important. Transport facilities may have frequent vehicle movements, pedestrian routes, loading areas, restricted compounds and limited space around workshops or infrastructure.
A storage system therefore needs to account for access, deliveries, material handling, emergency response and the movement of vehicles and personnel as well as the properties of the substances themselves.
A Chemstore site assessment allows an engineer to review the hazardous materials, existing storage arrangements and physical layout of a depot, workshop or transport facility before recommending an appropriate solution.
Depending on the site, the assessment can consider:
Following the assessment, Chemstore can recommend an appropriate standard product or develop a bespoke storage or equipment solution around the requirements of the transport facility.
Yes. Transport infrastructure often creates design constraints that cannot be addressed by standard storage units. Depots, stations, rail compounds and engineering facilities may have restricted footprints, unusual access requirements, security requirements or existing infrastructure that has to remain operational.
Chemstore can manufacture bespoke units with site-specific dimensions, internal layouts, containment, doors, ventilation, electrical systems, heating and cooling and other technical features where required.
Our previous Irish Rail project demonstrates this approach, with relocatable equipment rooms manufactured around a detailed railway telecommunications specification rather than an off-the-shelf design.
Whether you operate a rail facility, fleet depot, logistics centre, maintenance workshop or other transport site, Chemstore can assess the hazardous materials and equipment on your premises and recommend an appropriate storage solution.
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