Problems with Poor Containers

Here's a situation that brings a shudder to the safety professional -- a rusted can of diethyl ether stored in the back corner of the fume hood. This can was 8 years past the expiration date. Materials such as ethers that form explosive peroxides must NEVER be stored longer than the expiration date. If they have been opened, it is recommended that ethers are not stored for longer than 3 months. Tests are available to test for peroxide formation and compounds that are susceptible to peroxide formation are listed in the literature.

Here's a couple of possible scenarios of what could happen when chemical containers are left standing on the shelf for years and years. Though these containers were never opened, over time they have undergone a chemical reaction that has resulted in formation of a negative pressure within the container. The walls of the plastic bottles have literally collapsed inward. In addition, a crusty white residue has formed on the outside of the containers.

This photo shows what happens when a chemical reaction occurs within a chemical container and results in the formation of excessive pressure within the container. In this case the pressure was sufficient to cause the container to rupture and expel the contents of the container into the storage area. This material was particularly corrosive and has reulted in the destruction of the two wooden shelves and the metal supports. The danger here is that since the label is destroyed, we don't know the hazards associated with this unconfined material. Specifically, the toxicity should be of grave concern whan handling an unknown material.

Another common storage problem, which is actually an economic issue, is the use of 5 gallon cans in the laboratory. Many business managers look at the short-run fiscal savings accrued with the purchase of bulk chemicals and don't have the foresight to consider how long it will take to use up a container of this size in a laboratory environment.