Chemical warehousing is a service that provides storage facilities for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other products. This service helps in keeping the products safe from theft or damage. The warehousing company will store the products in a secure space until they are needed for further use. They may typically also provide services like packaging and labeling of the product.
Choosing a good chemical warehousing company is essential as they provide services under one roof at discounted rates, making it easy for you to find all your needs in one location rather than in multiple places. So, what are the things you should look for in a chemical warehousing service? Read on.
1. Standards In Quality Management
Before you check out a warehouse service provider, make sure that you look at their quality policy. This tells you how they define quality and how they plan to improve it by putting it into practice. It should be easily accessible on their website and fit with industry standards like ISO 9001, an internationally recognized standard for quality management systems in business.
A good company will ensure that its employees are trained in the best procedures for the warehouse which includes customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, safety, employee training, etc.
2. Experience In Handling The Class Of Chemicals You Market
Experience with the class of chemicals you market is one of the most important qualities to look for in 3PL companies. The more seasoned and knowledgeable a company is, the better its services will be. For example, if you sell industrial chemicals like acids or solvents, it’s vital that your warehouse provider has experience in handling these kinds of materials. If they don’t have any experience with them, they’ll probably not be able to operate safely or effectively. And that’s not a level of risk you want to take on.
3. Adherence To Proper Disposal Guidelines
Proper disposal of hazardous chemicals is essential to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for workers and the community. Numerous state-specific regulations determine how you should safely dispose of your chemicals, making it necessary to find a company that can handle disposal in accordance with those laws.
A chemical warehousing facility can properly dispose of any hazardous materials you have on hand. Still, not every service provider can do so in an environmentally safe way. Chemical waste management companies are required by law to follow all federal and state regulations regarding proper handling and disposal of hazardous materials, so if they don’t know what they’re doing when it comes time for disposal, be wary!
4. Tank Cleaning Services Offered
Tank cleaning is a crucial service when it comes to chemical warehousing. Your tanks need to be cleaned to ensure that the product you are storing is safe, pure, and free from contamination. It involves getting rid of any traces of corrosion, rust, or other impurities that can hamper the quality of your products or cause environmental issues.
Tank cleaning services also help keep you compliant with environmental regulations and other government agencies like OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) since dirty tanks can lead to accidents if not properly maintained. For these reasons, it’s worth finding out if your company of choice offers these services.
5. Visibility In Tracking And Inventory
If you’re looking for chemical warehousing services, then it’s important to ask about inventory tracking and visibility. Inventory tracking is the ability to monitor the location and quantity of chemicals at all times.
This can include receiving updates on orders, picking up products from local suppliers, delivering those products to your facility or other locations that need them, and more.
Inventory visibility means being able to see where all of your materials are located at any given time—from raw materials on hand in a warehouse to products in transit between facilities or suppliers’ warehouses.
6. Quality Of Transportation Services
Transportation services are important in warehousing. It’s not just about how fast the chemicals move from one place to another but also about how safe and reliable they are. You should look for chemical warehousing services that offer environmentally-friendly transportation methods. This means using trucks that run on alternative fuels or using rail cars or barges instead of trucks where possible. Doing so reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps reduce pollution in general.
Cost-effectiveness is another critical factor to consider when looking at transportation services for your business needs. The more cost-effective these services are, the more money you will have to put toward other resources like equipment upgrades or additional employees who can help save time and make things more efficient in your warehouse space overall!
7. Flexibility In Storage Solutions For Businesses Of All Sizes
You should also be looking for flexible storage solutions that can be scaled up or down depending on your needs.
Flexible storage solutions are a must-have for businesses of all sizes. To help you choose the right one, here are some things to keep in mind:
- What type of business do you own?
- How much space do you need?
- How often do your products change hands—and how quickly?
- What is the fastest way to get these products onto the shelves easily, so they’re ready when customers want them (or at least close enough)?
Once you have an idea of what kind of storage solution works best for your needs, it’s time to find out which companies can meet those needs. The Internet makes this process much easier than ever before. Start by looking online at sites and find out if anyone has been recommended there as being particularly good at their job! That should help narrow down your choices considerably. Not every chemical warehousing company is going to be right for you so you need to make sure they are able to customize their services to your needs as well as grow with you.
8. Value-Added Services And Capabilities
Can the service you are considering to hire offer any value added services on top of standard storage? Some perks that could help make your business process easier includes:
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- Chemical Blending: Many chemical manufacturers need to create custom blends for their customers. This is where having a chemical warehousing partner that offers chemical blending can be valuable.
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- Highly Hazardous Chemicals Storage: Some chemicals are more volatile or hazardous than others and as such require special care when they are stored in bulk quantities. Your warehousing provider should be able to store these types of chemicals in accordance with industry standards, such as those set forth by OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard 29 CFR 1910 Subpart L (for industries that handle flammable/combustible liquids). Additionally, the company should follow all other applicable regulations for storing flammable/combustible liquids at your site (for example, OSHA 1910 Subpart Z).
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In addition, there are numerous other value-added services offered by warehousing companies today such as inventory tracking software programs designed specifically for businesses handling chemicals; tank cleaning procedures that ensure the safe operation of tanks containing hazardous materials.
Conclusion
Chemical warehousing services are a necessity for businesses that need to store chemicals, but they can be complicated if you’re not familiar with them. Therefore, it’s important to find a company that offers all the services that you require and provides quality service at an affordable price. Use this article as a resource to help you locate the ideal chemical warehouse for your storage needs.