Is venting of flammable storage cabinets required or recommended?
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA #30, 4-3.2), a cabinet is not required to be vented for fire protection purposes. Venting a cabinet could compromise the ability of the cabinet to adequately protect its contents from involvement in a fire because cabinets are not generally tested with any venting. Therefore, it is not recommended to vent a storage cabinet. However, some state and local jurisdictions require flammable storage cabinets to be vented. What regulations govern the construction of flammable/combustible cabinets? What are the design requirements? The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) governs the construction of flammable/combustible cabinets. In 29 CFR 1910.106(d)(3)(ii)(a), the minimum design requirements for metal flammable/combustible cabinets are listed as: • The bottom, top, door and sides of the cabinet must be at least 18- gauge sheet steel and doublewalled with a one-and-one half inch airspace. • Joints must be riveted, welded or tightened by
