Overview
Ventilated cabinet is used for chemical storage (other than items requiring a ventilated enclosure)
Storage of chemicals in fume hoods is very prevalent on campus, and this will most likely be cited in some of the labs you visit. However, we need to educate lab workers that the fume hood is not for storage, but to provide ventilation for chemical manipulation that may produce hazardous vapors or may be dangerous in some other manner, e.g. fire, explosion, etc.
Using the hood as a storage space creates additional hazards. The more chemicals that are in the fume hood, the greater the risk in the event of a fire or explosion.
In accordance with NFPA standards a fume hood can only be shut off if it doesn’t contain any chemicals. There are a couple of exceptions to this general rule.
One exception is for gases in lecture-sized cylinders that must be stored and used in a ventilated enclosure.
Do not cite this checklist item if storage is for the purpose of a specialized item requiring storage in a ventilated enclosure.