Companies that offer hazardous materials storage can benefit from the customised approach of Heylen Warehouses. We do not limit ourselves to ad hoc solutions that make the storage of hazardous goods safer, but also build future-proof facilities that take into account both future changes and challenges in relation to hazardous goods.
The risks involved in the storage of hazardous materials are considerable. Quite a lot of chemical substances and products pose a certain risk of fire or explosion, while other substances pose a risk to human health or the environment.
At every Heylen Warehouses site where hazardous substances are stored, we go to great lengths to limit the risks to an absolute minimum. What specific types of hazardous materials are stored and shipped? What are the associated risks (fire/explosion, environment and/or theft)? What measures are required by law? What measures do we take in addition to the required measures in order to address the customer’s activities and needs? How do we implement these measures in practice? We use our expertise to ask the right project-specific questions in order to make the logistics site as safe as possible.
Heylen Warehouses takes no chances when it comes to making the storage of hazardous substances safer. We always play it safe, analyse every risk and implement measures and solutions that are far from standard. After all, every site and every customer has a unique working method and company-specific products and procedures. More specifically, we take a three-phase approach to hazardous goods storage: preliminary phase (analyses and permits), actual construction phase and the follow-up phase (modifications).
1. Preliminary process and permits: a good start is half the battle
Anyone who stores hazardous materials must have the necessary permits. In the Netherlands, PGS 15.2016 legislation applies. In Belgium, there is an entire range of laws, standards and royal decrees that apply, such as the Soil Protection Act and ADR legislation for the transport of hazardous substances. Insurance companies also have minimum standards and measures, such as FM Global, CEA (European Insurance Federation) and NFPA (U.S.).
We bring together all the stakeholders involved at an early stage; Together we determine the priorities in relation to the complex legislation and chemical products that the user intends to store.
2. Future-proof customisation
We deliberately do not use a standard checklist for our projects, but put together all the puzzle pieces. Every warehouse, but especially every user, has its own distinctive features and its own product range that must be taken into account. So, we always offer highly personalised guidance in which every permit and measure is geared towards the activities taking place in the warehouse. The starting point for building construction is to create a structure that maximises storage safety, so that the customer can focus 100% on logistics activities.
3. Follow-up: future-proof solutions
Not only do we offer solutions that reduce the risk of fire, explosion, theft or environmental disasters, but we also look towards the future.
Our customised solutions are flexible and future-proof, and can be adapted to a changing environment, materials and a possible future expansion of the building. This means, for example, installing pipes that are wide enough to potentially allow other substances to pass through. Another example is an adjustable lower ceiling.
In doing so, we always take the economic reality into account by not simply offering solutions as luxury accessories or showpieces, but measures that have a genuine impact on safety and ensure a smooth logistics process for our customers. This approach perfectly reflects the general philosophy of Heylen Warehouses.