Customer Questions: Flammable Cabinet Self-Closing Doors & Colors

Question: How can I tell if I need self-closing doors on my flammable cabinets? Do cabinets need to be a certain color?

Answer: If you’re located in a state that has adopted either of the following standards, then your flammable cabinets must have self-closing doors:

• NFPA 1 (Uniform Fire Code) 66.9.4.3(2): “Doors shall be well fitted, self-closing, and equipped with a self-latching device.”
• IFC (International Fire Code) 5704.3.2.1.3: “Doors shall be well fitted, self-closing and equipped with a three-point latch.”

States that have adopted NFPA 1 and/or IFC are:

Some municipalities in other states selectively require flammable safety cabinets to be fitted with self-closing doors to comply with safety regulations:

There aren’t any regulations that say cabinets need to be a certain color, but most facilities use the following best management practices in regards to color:

• Yellow: Flammable liquids
• Red: Paints, inks and other combustible liquids
• Gray or White: Waste or outdoor lockers
• Blue: Corrosives (acids, bases, oxidizers)
• Green: Pesticides and insecticides
• Silver or Neutral: Laboratory chemicals

If you’re still unsure about whether you need to purchase a flammable cabinet with self-closing doors or if you need to store flammables in a specific colored cabinet, contact your local authority having jurisdiction. Often this is the local fire marshal or code officer.

Now that you know whether your flammable safety cabinet needs self-closing doors and if it needs to be a certain color, you can choose the right safety cabinet. Check out PIG Flammable Safety Cabinets here.