How often should chemical storage cabinets be inspected?

Weekly inspection is the recommended frequency for most workplaces. This aligns with the WHS Regulations requirement to maintain hazardous chemical storage in a safe condition and identifies improper practices before they escalate. Laboratories, manufacturing facilities and other high-throughput environments may require daily checks. Additional inspections should follow any spill event or introduction of new chemicals.

What chemicals can be stored together in the same cabinet?

Only chemicals of the same DG class should be stored in the same cabinet. Flammable liquids (Class 3) must not be stored with oxidisers (Class 5.1). Acids must not be stored with bases. Organic peroxides (Class 5.2) must be isolated from all other classes. If a workplace requires mixed-class storage, purpose-built segregated cabinets with internal barriers are available, but separate cabinets are the preferred approach.

What is the maximum capacity for a flammable liquids cabinet?

AS 1940 specifies maximum cabinet sizes based on the type and location. A standard indoor safety cabinet for flammable liquids typically has a maximum capacity of 250 litres (Type 1, 60-minute fire rating) or 150 litres (Type 2, 30-minute fire rating). The total quantity of flammable liquids stored in cabinets within a single fire compartment is also limited by AS 1940 based on the building classification and fire protection provisions.

Do chemical storage cabinets need to be ventilated?

AS 1940 recommends that flammable liquids cabinets be ventilated to prevent vapour accumulation, but does not mandate mechanical ventilation in all cases. If the cabinet is connected to a mechanical extraction system, the ventilation bungs must be open and the system must be operating. If not connected to extraction, bungs must be sealed with the factory-fitted caps. The decision depends on the volatility of stored chemicals, cabinet location and workplace ventilation.

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Free chemical storage cabinet inspection checklist per AS 1940 and AS 3780. Weekly DG cabinet compliance, segregation and spill readiness. Download free.

Jarrod Milford

Commercial Director

Updated 5 May 2026

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What is a chemical storage cabinet weekly inspection?

A chemical storage cabinet inspection is a weekly compliance check of dangerous goods cabinets used to store flammable liquids, combustible liquids, corrosive substances and other hazardous chemicals in the workplace. Under AS 1940 (The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids) and AS 3780 (The storage and handling of corrosive substances), workplaces must maintain safety cabinets in compliant condition with correct contents, proper segregation, functional ventilation and appropriate emergency equipment readily available.

WHS Regulations 2011 Chapter 7 (Hazardous chemicals) requires PCBUs to ensure that hazardous chemicals are stored in a manner that minimises risk to health and safety. Safety cabinets are engineered controls designed to contain spills, resist fire penetration for a rated period (typically 30 minutes for Type 2 or 60 minutes for Type 1 cabinets per AS 1940), and prevent ignition sources from reaching flammable vapours. However, a cabinet only provides these protections if it is maintained in good condition, contains only compatible chemicals within its rated capacity, and remains properly closed and latched. This weekly inspection covers cabinet structural integrity, labelling compliance, ventilation, contents verification against the chemical register, segregation rules, spill containment readiness and general housekeeping in the cabinet vicinity.

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Benefits of using this chemical storage cabinet weekly inspection

Fire risk reduction: confirms cabinet integrity, correct contents and proper closure, maintaining the fire-resistance rating that protects workers and property from flammable liquid fires.
Regulatory compliance: satisfies WHS Regulations 2011 Chapter 7 requirements for proper storage and maintenance of hazardous chemical storage systems, with documented evidence.
Segregation enforcement: weekly verification that incompatible chemicals are not co-stored prevents dangerous reactions such as acid/base mixing or oxidiser/flammable contact.
Spill readiness: confirms spill kits, absorbents and PPE are available and in date, enabling rapid response if a container leaks or is dropped during retrieval.
Capacity compliance: verifies cabinet contents do not exceed the manufacturer rated capacity, which is critical for maintaining the fire-resistance certification.
Worker awareness: the visible weekly inspection process reinforces proper chemical handling practices among all workers who access the cabinet.

Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack

When you digitise chemical cabinet checklists in MapTrack, you get:

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Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
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Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
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Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
Escalate critical hazards instantly to safety managers via push notification.
Maintain an auditable safety register that satisfies WHS regulator requests.
Correlate incident trends across sites with built-in safety analytics.

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What to include in a chemical storage cabinet weekly inspection

This chemical storage cabinet weekly inspection covers 8 key areas:

Cabinet identification: location, cabinet number, type (flammable, corrosive, toxic), fire-resistance rating, manufacturer and rated capacity.
Structural integrity: door condition, hinges, latches, self-closing mechanism, cabinet body (dents, corrosion, holes), sump/bund condition and capacity.
Labelling and signage: correct DG class placard displayed, cabinet capacity sign, emergency information sign, contents list current.
Ventilation: ventilation bung condition (open if vented to extraction, capped if not connected), extraction system operating (if ducted).
Contents compliance: all containers appropriate for the cabinet class, no incompatible chemicals, all containers sealed and labelled, no overfilling beyond rated capacity.
Segregation: oxidisers separated from flammables, acids separated from bases, toxic substances in dedicated storage, no food or drink stored in chemical cabinets.
Spill readiness: spill kit present and stocked, absorbent material available, appropriate PPE (gloves, goggles, apron) accessible near the cabinet.
Housekeeping: area around cabinet clear of obstructions, no ignition sources within 3 metres of flammable cabinets, SDS register accessible.

How to use this chemical storage cabinet weekly inspection

Inspect the cabinet exterior including doors, latches, self-closing mechanism and signage.: Check that both doors close fully and latch securely. Test the self-closing mechanism (doors must self-close and latch from any open position). Inspect hinges for damage or corrosion. Verify the correct dangerous goods class placard is displayed and legible. Check the cabinet body for dents, corrosion, holes or damage that could compromise fire resistance.
Open the cabinet and verify contents against the chemical register and capacity rating.: Open the cabinet and visually check all containers. Verify that every container belongs to the correct DG class for that cabinet (for example, no corrosives in a flammable liquids cabinet). Confirm all containers are sealed, upright and labelled. Estimate the total volume of contents and confirm it does not exceed the cabinet rated capacity. Check for containers that are leaking, damaged or have illegible labels.
Check segregation rules and verify no incompatible chemicals are co-stored.: Confirm that incompatible chemicals are not stored in the same cabinet. Key segregation rules: oxidisers must not be stored with flammable liquids, acids must not be stored with bases, organic peroxides must be isolated from all other DG classes. If the cabinet is a mixed-class cabinet, verify internal segregation barriers are in place and chemicals are on the correct side.
Inspect the ventilation system, sump condition and spill containment.: Check ventilation bungs. If the cabinet is connected to a mechanical extraction system, verify the system is operating (check airflow indicator or smoke test). If not ducted, confirm bungs are properly fitted. Inspect the internal sump for accumulated liquid, debris or corrosion. The sump must be able to contain at least 25% of the cabinet capacity or the largest container volume, whichever is greater.
Verify spill equipment, PPE availability and surrounding housekeeping.: Confirm the nearest spill kit is stocked with appropriate absorbents for the chemical class stored. Verify PPE (chemical-resistant gloves, splash goggles, apron) is accessible near the cabinet. Check that the area surrounding the cabinet is clear of obstructions, combustible materials and ignition sources. Confirm the SDS register for stored chemicals is accessible within the work area.

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How often should you complete this checklist?

Weekly inspection is the recommended frequency for chemical storage cabinets in active workplaces where chemicals are accessed regularly. This frequency ensures that improper storage practices, container damage and housekeeping issues are identified before they accumulate into serious risks. High-throughput environments such as laboratories and manufacturing lines may require daily checks. The inspection should also be triggered after any spill event, after new chemicals are introduced, or after any cabinet modification. In MapTrack, weekly recurring inspections are automatically generated for each registered chemical cabinet, with non-conformances tracked to resolution and trend data identifying repeat issues.

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Applicable regulatory standards

This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:

AS 1940 The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids
AS 3780 The storage and handling of corrosive substances
WHS Regulations 2011, Chapter 7 - Hazardous chemicals
GHS (Globally Harmonised System) classification and labelling requirements

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