These are external storage vaults for liquids — drums of oil, fuel, solvents, agrochemicals and flammable liquids that need to be kept outside the building, locked, contained and away from an ignition source. They are not safes or self-storage units. If you are looking for indoor cabinets for smaller quantities of chemicals, the hazardous substance storage range is the right place to start.
Two distinct families sit on this page, and they solve different problems.
Polyethylene vaults — drum storage with roller shutter access
The GPC Polyethylene Vaults are moulded plastic units with roller shutter doors, which makes getting to your drums straightforward without a door swing to allow for. They are built to comply with the Oil Storage Regulations (England) 2001.
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PEC27Z — for 2 drums
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PEC42Z — for 4 drums (typically a 7-day lead time)
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PEC27S — with shelving, for smaller containers rather than full drums
Polyethylene is the sensible choice for oils, lubricants and water-based chemicals stored outdoors: it will not corrode, it copes with weather without a coating to maintain, and the moulded base contains what leaks. The shelved PEC27S is the one to take if what you actually store is a mixed collection of 5, 20 and 25 litre containers rather than 205 litre drums.
Steel storage vaults — flammable liquids and agrochemicals
The GPC Storage Vaults are all-welded steel units designed to comply, as appropriate, with the Flammable Liquid Storage Regulations 1972 and the Factory Inspection Guide HSG51, and built to A.P.E.A. construction requirements. They provide half an hour of protection from collapse and the passage of fire.
The detail that matters most day to day is the adjustable vent. It meets the requirements of both flammable storage, where the vent is closed, and agrochemical storage, where the vent is open — so one unit covers two very different storage duties depending on how it is set. Get that setting right for what you are actually storing.
Other features across the range: multi-lockable for high security, a lift-up lid assisted by gas struts, a liquid-tight base to contain spillage, and skids on the base for extra protection and forklift handling. Three widths are available:
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SSV01Z — 700mm wide, with a pivoting middle shelf so larger items can go on the base level
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SSV02Z — 1370mm wide, also with a pivoting middle shelf
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SSV03Z — 2500mm wide, with a central partition and four shelves; the two middle shelves fold away and the two top shelves are made in three sections, the rear fixed and the front two removable
A forklift is needed to unload these vaults.
An important safety note
GPC's own guidance is worth repeating in full: before storing herbicides and petroleum-based products, seek specific advice from your Health and Safety Inspector, Trading Standards Officers, Environmental Health Officers and Fire Officers. Storage of these materials is site-specific — separation distances, bund capacity, ignition sources and drainage all depend on where the vault is going and what is around it. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
How much containment do you need?
The general rule applied to bunded storage in the UK is that secondary containment should hold at least 110% of the largest container, or 25% of the total volume stored, whichever is greater. Our guide to spill containment and bunding, and what UK law requires works through how that is calculated and where it applies.
Related ranges
For drums kept under cover rather than in a sealed vault, see drum storage and our guide to covered and enclosed drum stores. For bunded pallets and sumps underneath drums in use, see spill containment. For indoor flammable and COSHH cabinets, see hazardous storage and our guide to the difference between a flammable storage cabinet and a COSHH cabinet. And for the regulations behind outdoor oil drum storage, read storing oil drums safely.
GPC Industries SSV01Z
