Success for Joint CBA, SIA & HSE Project

A joint project between the Solvents Industry Association (SIA), and the Chemical Business Association (CBA), has resulted in the launch of a new Industry Guidance Note on the storage of chemical liquids within intermediate bulk containers (IBC's).

Guidance Note 51: "Guidance for Storage of Liquids in Intermediate Bulk Containers" ; is fully supported by the Health & Safety Executive, and can be viewed via both the SIA & CBA websites.

SIA member companies have appreciated the hazards of storing Hydrocarbon and Oxygenated solvents in IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers) for some time.  Note 51 was originally issued in 2002 and placed on the SIA's website in 2003; coming to the attention of the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) the following year, as part of an examination into the causes of several industrial fires in the UK.

All cases studied by the HSE involved the storage of combustible liquids in IBCs, as well as in other containers such as drums. The HSE, impressed by Guidance Note 51, contacted the SIA with a view to cooperation in the authorship of a government-backed guidance document, having already been in contact with the CBA membership on the same matter.

This marks a first for the industry and is evidence of the commitment towards best practise techniques, and Product Stewardship in action.

The Chairman of the SIA remarked, "The unique co-operation achieved by combining the experience, knowledge and talents of the CBA, SIA and HSE has enabled the industry to demonstrate how effective collaboration with the regulators can be. We expect this document to become the standard referral document throughout the industry and we will be championing its use throughout our membership and the downstream users."