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:
- Alaska
- California
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Utah
- Washington
Some municipalities in other states selectively require flammable safety cabinets to be fitted with self-closing doors to comply with safety regulations:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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.