I'm looking at updating the shelving in our Chemstore.
Does anyone know of the exact requirements for chemical shelving or where I can find this information?
Does anyone know of companies that supply the correct shelving?
Any other information regarding chemstore shelving would be appreciated!!
We got a quote last year to have our chem store shelving replaced with chemical resistant laminate & even though it's a small room the quote came to $14,000.
In the end we got another builder who made new shelves & painted them with chemical resistant paint (Dulux 2 pack). He had enough paint left over to do the walls as well. We also got him to fix a perspex edge to each shelf & the total cost was $2,600.
The Board of Studies inspectors were happy. Phew...
As long as the shelving is not damaged (to allow deterioration from chemicals) there should not be a problem.
Although chem resistant laminates can be costly, as JudyM has shown the market for this is staggering.
Cheers,
Robb.....
Dr Robert Crosdale. MRACI. NSS. NSSA. NASA.
Ph.D (Chem), Post Grad Ph.D (Physics), M.Ed, B.Sc (Hons), Dip. Appl. Sc. (Chem)
Lake Munmorah High School.
University of New England.
University of New South Wales.
University of Newcastle.
To understand the Universe from our perspective, we need to look towards our own backyard first for answers.
This is a very old topic that I started in 2007. I can't believe I started talking about getting our chem store fixed that long ago.
Any way it was never done the problem is getting worse and I now have a new HT who agrees with me that it is essential to OH&S to have it fixed. SO....
I'm asking again if people know of any companies who can give me a quote to replace the shelving.
Basically I'm looking for the same information that was in the original post. Please help!!!!
HI Lorrae,
At the start of last year when I started working here I was given the task of designing the shelving for the chem store, So I had to do ALOT of research becasue I didn't know Chemtalk existed yet ( don't know how i coped really ) found some relevant OH&S documentation about required dimensions of the shelving (I.e. the bottom of the top most shelf it to be no higheer than 1.5 M off the ground) But i dont know what I have done with it grrr. . Anyway our maintenance man actually installed them and they ended up being a steel frames ( painted with enamel paint) botled to the wall, with laminated wood shelves . The thinking behind this being that if any one shelf became too damaged it could just be unbolted from the frame and replaced with a new shelf, it was cheaper than getting in an expert and anything that was really nasty was either not suppose to be at the school or stored in it's own special flammables or corrosives cabinet. It's only been a year but it seems to be coping ok.
Hope that has helped
good luck
) found some relevant OH&S documentation about required dimensions of the shelving (I.e. the bottom of the top most shelf it to be no higheer than 1.5 M off the ground) But i dont know what I have done with it grrr. 
. Anyway our maintenance man actually installed them and they ended up being a steel frames ( painted with enamel paint) botled to the wall, with laminated wood shelves . The thinking behind this being that if any one shelf became too damaged it could just be unbolted from the frame and replaced with a new shelf, it was cheaper than getting in an expert and anything that was really nasty was either not suppose to be at the school or stored in it's own special flammables or corrosives cabinet. It's only been a year but it seems to be coping ok. 
