Storage area

Location

First, a suitable location needs to be chosen (in accordance to national legislation, spatial planning and other normative documents) devoid of risks such as floods, unstable soils, etc. and approved by authorities. Territory of storage facilities needs to be properly managed and secured, fire-fighting rules must be complied with.
All measures must be taken to ensure that chemicals are not released into the soil, surface or subsurface water. Storage territories need to have proper pathways, doorways and access for motor vehicles, sufficient lighting, warning signs, evacuation schemes and fire-fighting systems installed (e.g. smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, hydrants, sprinkler heads, etc.).
It is also recommended that a secondary containment system is designed as an additional measure to avoid chemical leakage in to the environment in a case of an accident (for example, a large scale chemical spill or a fire, that is extinguished and, as a result, chemical contaminated water is produced that needs to be contained and disposed properly).

Interior

Inside storage facilities, where volatile chemicals are kept proper ventilation needs to be installed and if the chemicals are sensitive to temperature change an ambient temperature needs to be maintained or other special facilities installed. The interior must be constructed with non-combustible chemical resistant materials in order to protect the construction of the building from the effects of chemical substances.
The building must also withstand the effects of external fire. Inside - all sources of fire need to be removed and electronic equipment or electrical systems need to be in a good technical shape and any sources of sparks or ignition removed as soon as possible. Workers of the storage area must be trained in fire-fighting and occupational safety and follow the occupational safety requirements.
Inside the storage room, the shelves and cabinets should be made of fire proof, chemical resistant and robust materials. They should be placed on a level ground ensuring stability. Maximum weight limit should be indicated clearly and not exceeded. It is best to keep flammable liquids (e.g. solvents) inside the storage cabinets. With regard to shelves, heaviest loads should be placed at the bottom and if the fork-lifts or other kind of vehicles are used, a collision guard should be installed. Additionally, storage room should contain absorbent material that could be used in a case of small-scale spills.

In cases where chemicals are stored in open air or outdoors users need to ensure that the containers are water-proof and storage location is roofed adequately.