Cabinet reshuffle
A change of standards for flammable liquid storage

A new European standard for flammable liquid storage cabinets, EN 14470-1, comes into force this year. This article gives more detailed information.

As part of the ongoing European harmonization, another DIN laboratory standard is being superseded by an EN standard. Published in April 2004, EN 14470-1 is replacing DIN 12925-1, Safety Cabinets for Flammable Liquids, which first came into force 20 years ago. The new EN standard will become national law in EU member countries within six months, reports storage cabinet manufacturer Düperthal Sicherheitstechnik. Though some details will vary between EU member states, EN 14470-1 offers a unified legal basis for the storage of flammable liquids.

EN 14470-1 has three primary safety
requirements for the storage of flammable liquids:
minimization of the fire risk from flammable materials stored in the cabinet, and protection of these materials in the event of fire. The latter is assessed using the well-established concept of minimum fire resistance period (FR, expressed in minutes);
minimization of the vapors emitted to the work environment; and
retention of any leaks inside the cabinet.
EN 14470-1 recognizes four fire resistance classes — FR 15, 30, 60 and 90 — to suit the different requirements of the EU member states. Not all of these will be acceptable in every member state, because the new standard does not replace existing national regulations for the handling of flammable liquids. In Germany, for instance, FR 15 cabinets are not allowed because they would contravene the Operational Safety Ordinance (BetrSichV) and Appendix L of the Technical Regulations for Flammable Liquids (TRbF).
Test procedures
The test procedures and marketing rules for EN-compliant safety cabinets remain the same as for DIN cabinets. This means that when a manufacturer produces a new range of cabinets, a design test (prototype test) must be carried out by an accredited materials testing institute. Taking Germany as an example, an institute such as iBMB Brunswick or ifT Rosenheim carries out the design test. The German Materials Testing Institute then assigns type classes according to the fire resistance class determined in the design test.
Based on the Materials Testing Institute’s certificate of inspection, testing for all the additional requirements of EN 14470-1 is carried out by an institution accredited by the German Federal States Center for Safety Engineering (ZLS). Such institutions include, for example, the TüV Product Service GmbH Frankfurt/Eschborn, Germany. The test procedures check individual functions such as the closing force and closing times of doors, and documentation of product and safety criteria in accordance with the German Equipment and Product Safety Act (GPSG). Once the testing institution is satisfied that the product meets the relevant GPSG standards, it grants a GS mark and a declaration of conformity with the standard.
Although EN 14470-1 was published in April 2004, safety cabinets that comply with DIN 12925-1 and have a valid GS certificate may be freely marketed until 31 December 2005. However, buyers should beware: although existing DIN-certified cabinets may continue to be used until the end of the year, they will not be legal after that date.