90-minute safety cabinets

What type 90 means under EN 14470-1

Type 90 means that for 90 minutes the cabinet insulates the stored flammable liquids from the fire temperature rising outside. It is the highest class in EN 14470-1. The number in the designation gives the protection time in minutes.

In a fire, the mechanisms act in sequence. Once a temperature threshold is exceeded, the doors close by themselves. The dampers in the ventilation connections then close, and intumescent seals expand to close the gaps so that hot gases cannot enter the interior. None of these steps needs a power supply or human intervention.

A trade name alone does not confirm the class. That requires a furnace test and a document issued in accordance with EN 14470-1. We explain how to read these designations in our guide on choosing the right fire resistance class.

90-minute or 30-minute cabinet

A 90-minute cabinet is used where larger quantities of flammable liquids are stored in the room. The extra 60 minutes of protection give staff time to evacuate and leave the fire brigade a margin before the solvent compartment becomes another seat of the fire. For smaller quantities, 30-minute fire-resistant safety storage cabinets are used. The choice depends on the safety data sheets of the substances and the quantities stored.

An ordinary cabinet with extraction has no thermal insulation, so it cannot replace a fire-resistant cabinet for flammable liquids. The two solutions complement each other, as we explain in our article ventilated chemical cabinet vs safety cabinet. Non-flammable acids and bases belong in chemical storage cabinets with a corrosion-resistant interior, and the other cabinet types are in the fire-resistant and safety cabinets category. A fire-resistant cabinet is placed away from the main escape routes. We show how to lay out storage zones in our article on how to plan storage in the laboratory.

From this categoryFire-resistant safety cabinet K-Phoenix-90See product

Q, S and K series models

According to their data sheets, all models offer 90 minutes of fire resistance in accordance with EN 14470-1. They differ in their doors, interior and dimensions.

• Q-Classic-90: width 599, 893 or 1193 mm, height 1953 mm, doors that close automatically in a fire and can be held in selected positions, cylinder lock, spill sump.
• Q-Pegasus-90: the same dimensions, double doors that open with one hand (AGT mechanism) and the TSA system, which closes them 60 seconds after opening.
• S-Classic-90: width 596, 896 or 1196 mm, height 1968 or 1298 mm, height-adjustable shelves with a load capacity of 75 kg, cylinder lock that can be integrated into a master key system, protective components outside the interior compartment, which limits corrosion.
• S-Phoenix-90: folding doors that save space in front of the cabinet, height 1968 mm, the same widths as the S-Classic-90, spill sump for large containers.
• K-Phoenix-90: 1197 × 1969 mm, flammable liquids and other hazardous chemicals in a single cabinet, absorbent insert for spills of two types of substance, levelling on uneven floors.
• K-UB-90: under-worktop cabinet 601 mm high and 1102 or 1402 mm wide, doors opening to 135°, drawer with an earthing cable and a welded spill sump, optional mobile plinth.

Ventilation and minimum air extraction

The data sheets for all models give a minimum air extraction rate based on 10 air changes per hour, so it increases with the size of the interior. The Q-Classic-90 and Q-Pegasus-90 need 4, 6 or 9 m³/h at widths of 599, 893 and 1193 mm. The S-Classic-90 and S-Phoenix-90 with a height of 1968 mm need 4, 7 or 10 m³/h, the lower S-Classic-90 needs 3 or 6 m³/h, and the K-Phoenix-90 needs 9 m³/h. The under-worktop K-UB-90 needs 2 or 3 m³/h and has a single rear outlet shared by both compartments. Extraction removes solvent vapours from the interior before they escape into the room when the doors are opened. We explain when a connection to extraction is necessary in our article when you need a ventilated chemical cabinet.