Spill containment mats beneath retail chemical displays

May 1, 1995
Ms. Lori L. Herron
Risk Management Department
Frank's Nursery & Crafts
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Ms. Herron:
This letter is a response to your letter of January 27, regarding the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for spill containment mats under retail displays of lawn and garden chemicals within your stores. In a subsequent telephone conversation you stated that your employees are trained to handle small spills of a single product in accordance with the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for that product, using spill kits available in your stores. You also stated that large spills and mixed chemical spills are handled by an outside contractor and asked whether your stores could eliminate spill containment mats now used under in-store displays of pesticides, fertilizers, pool chemicals, and similar products.
Federal OSHA does not specifically require the use of spill containment mats in front of the shelving displaying chemicals for sale in stores. We understand you have addressed pertinent emergency response requirements through your program for small incidental as well as large chemical spills.
We hope this response provides useful clarification. If you have additional questions, please contact [the Office of Health Enforcement at (202) 693-2190].
Sincerely,
Ruth McCully, Director
[Directorate of Enforcement Programs]

[Requester letter reproduced on OSHA page; omitted here.]

[Corrected 4/18/03]