Legal requirements for solvent storage

[Ashish Bhardwaj]

Dear All,

Is their any storage limit govern by law for storage of following solvents for R&D purpose?
Methanol
Acetone
Ethyl Acetate
Dichloromethane
Isopropyl Alcohol
Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether

If there's any limit then what is the maximum limit for which no license is required for storage and under which law?

Thanks & Regards,
Ashish Bhardwaj
M.Sc. Environmental Studies
TERI University

[s.muralidharan]

Please look at the Hazardous Chemicals Storage Rules for the limits.

If the rule does not indicate limits then only liecence will be required where appropriate( like Methanol)

[Girish Yadav]

kindly also refer to petroleum rules,

[GOPI KANTA GHOSH]

There are limits but can not be generalized.. It depends on specific chemical or solvent.

[PINAKI DASGUPTA]

Did you say for R & D? We do not have any legal limits for storing hazardous chemicals for R & D purpose.

And believe that you won't also store drums of the chemicals too! Also, for R & D purpose, these chemicals must be of analytical grade and not in the pure form

What is covered under Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules generally apply to industrial operations. Nevertheless, do refer to these rules.

However, for laboratory/ R & D purposes, it would be suffice to state that proper handling as well as safety needs to be in place as per the physio-chemical properties of the above chemicals.

As long as the inventory is kept to a bare minimum, it should be fine.

[Ashish Bhardwaj]

Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules do not talk about limits and license. I know about petroleum class A solvents for which we need a license if the storage limit exceeds 30 litre but the general solvents like Methanol, Acetone, Ethyl Acetate, Dichloromethane, Isopropyl Alcohol etc are not Hydrocarbons so do not come under petroleum class.

In large R&Ds, one can have storage of solvents up to 50 litres so if there's any legal limit for solvents other than petroleum class, one might need license for that but I haven't come across any rules or acts which talks about limits and license except petroleum act.

I am sure that one need license for storage of methanol and ethanol and the license is issued from excise department but couldn't find the documents or rules regarding the same showing limit for storage and conditions of license.