Plant floor problems · Office Furniture
60 gallons per cabinet. What OSHA 1910.106 allows, and when you need a rated building instead
Reviewed September 25, 2026. Official sources are linked where they exist.
Short answer
Under OSHA 1910.106(d)(3), not more than 60 gallons of Category 1, 2, or 3 flammable liquids, nor more than 120 gallons of Category 4, may be stored in a single storage cabinet. A compliant metal cabinet has 18-gauge double walls with a 1.5-inch air space, a three-point lock, a 2-inch sill, is labeled 'Flammable, Keep Fire Away,' and must hold the interior below 325°F in a 10-minute fire test. Once quantities exceed what a few cabinets can hold, a prefabricated hazmat storage building with a fire rating set by its distance to other buildings, 4-hour within 10 feet, 2-hour at 10 to 30 feet, and typically no rating required beyond 30 feet, is the way to get the material off the floor. Lithium battery cabinets are a separate, fire-rated product for spare packs.
Cabinets: what the rule specifies
The OSHA rule defines the cabinet as well as the quantity. Metal cabinets are built of at least 18-gauge sheet steel, double-walled with a 1.5-inch air space, with a three-point latch and a door sill at least 2 inches above the bottom, and are tested so the center of the interior stays below 325°F during a 10-minute fire exposure. Inside storage rooms have their own requirements, including six air changes per hour of ventilation. Your EHS lead determines the categories and quantities on the floor; we size the cabinets and the count.
Buildings: when cabinets are not enough
When a plant holds more than a few cabinets' worth, a prefabricated chemical storage building moves the hazard outside or into a rated structure. The fire rating is set by separation distance: a 4-hour rating for a building inside or within 10 feet of another building, 2-hour at 10 to 30 feet, and typically no rating required at 30 feet or more. Buildings come with a welded, leak-tested sump for containment, and FM approval is available where the insurer asks for it. NFPA 30 and NFPA 1 are the codes the local fire marshal will apply.
Lithium battery cabinets
Spare lithium packs for forklifts, AMRs, and tools are a thermal-runaway risk rather than a vapor risk, so they get a fire-rated battery cabinet instead of a flammable cabinet: rated construction, ventilation, and charging-in-cabinet where the design allows. Sizing is by pack count and chemistry. Pair the cabinet with the charging bay layout so spare packs are stored, not left on the floor.
Questions buyers ask
- How many flammable cabinets can I have in one area?
- The per-cabinet limit is 60 gallons of Category 1 to 3 liquids or 120 gallons of Category 4. The number of cabinets in a fire area is limited under NFPA 30 and your adopted fire code. Your EHS lead and fire marshal set that number.
- Do I need an outdoor building?
- When the quantities exceed what cabinets and an inside storage room can lawfully hold, or when the insurer wants the material out of the plant. The building's rating follows its distance to other structures.
- Can lithium batteries go in a flammable cabinet?
- A flammable liquid cabinet is designed for vapor and liquid fires. Lithium packs need a cabinet rated for battery thermal runaway, with ventilation and, where offered, charging inside the cabinet.
Do your own research
Official sources first. We link the rule, not a summary of the rule, wherever one exists.
- 29 CFR 1910.106 Flammable liquids
OSHA
Paragraph (d)(3): cabinet quantity limits and construction requirements.
- Safety and Health Information Bulletin: lithium battery devices
OSHA
OSHA recommendations on storing and charging lithium-powered devices.
What we quote for this
Office Furniture
Flammable Liquid and Lithium Battery Storage Cabinets
Listed flammable cabinets and fire-rated lithium battery cabinets for the plant floor and the charging area.
- Flammable
- Listed cabinets, typical 30, 45, 60 gallon; manual or self-closing doors
- Lithium
- Fire-rated battery storage cabinet; capacity per model
- Construction
- Double-wall steel with air gap
Guardrail
Forklift and AMR Charging Bay Kit
Guardrail, bollards, floor marking, signage, and containment packaged for a forklift or AMR charging area.
- Positions
- Sized to the number of chargers
- Barrier
- Guardrail runs and bollards protecting each charger
- Marking
- Floor tape or paint and wall signage