Looking at this from an environmental perspective and from a safety perspective.

Currently our process includes bagging and accumulating rags, indoors, until we have enough to call in for a pickup so they can be properly disposed of. We do use metal cans with lids for storage part of the time. We set the pickup frequency, but it's $100 per run, so we try to accumulate at least the equivalence of 4-55gallon drums worth.

Wondering how others handle this. Seems like storing outdoors 50' away from the building is good from a safety aspect, but not so good from environmental point of view. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!

Sounds like you're using WM, Safety Kleen or another vendor to help.

What you've described isn't unique to you and is partially in line with OSHA and EPA (Fed & State) requirements. You should be using metal cans all the time that are covered except when placing or removing the rags, especially if soiled with solvents and lubricants. Keep the cans out of direct sunlight, away from sparks or whatever and not exposed to the elements like rain.

Looking at this from an environmental perspective and from a safety perspective.

Currently our process includes bagging and accumulating rags, indoors, until we have enough to call in for a pickup so they can be properly disposed of. We do use metal cans with lids for storage part of the time. We set the pickup frequency, but it's $100 per run, so we try to accumulate at least the equivalence of 4-55gallon drums worth.

Wondering how others handle this. Seems like storing outdoors 50' away from the building is good from a safety aspect, but not so good from environmental point of view. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!

I am not an environmental expert, but how about reducing the oily rags at their source?
Are there alternative (cleaning) methods? If possible?

Stijloor.

The classical "oily rags catch fire" risk was recognized at the beginning of the industrial age, when machinery-filled mills for processing textiles first arose. It was common then for lubricating and cutting oils not to contain anti-oxidant additives.

The surface film of any old-style mineral oil without antioxidants, and any vegetable oil or oil-based paint, will "dry" when exposed to air. That is, it will oxidize, or react with atmospheric oxygen to form a varnish.

This chemical reaction is exothermic. When it occurs in a loose pile of rags that air can still penetrate, the bulk of the cloth acts as thermal insulation, and the center of the pile can exceed the deflagration temperature of the cloth/oil/varnish mix.

This is the reason for the traditional metal-can recommendation: the metal can is intended to contain any fire that occurs and prevent it from exceeding the smoldering stage. The tight-fitting and usually self-closing lid is intended to be airtight so that if an oxidation process has begun, it will consume all of the oxygen and then cease, and any smoldering fire will be prevented from escaping around the lid as hot gases or flames.

Oily rag protections are unnecessary when all of the utilized oil-like materials are engineered to contain antioxidants, and all personnel are trained to understand the risk issues.

When that is not practical, the traditional unvented red steel can with an airtight self-closing lid is still an effective protection, if combined with training and discipline.

In more technically sophisticated work contexts, it's possible to store carrier-materials containing readily self-oxidizing residues in a nitrogen or carbon dioxide atmosphere, which of course stops all oxidation. This however requires engineered systems to assure effectiveness. Approaches like this are sometimes used in the vicinity of machining processes involving combinations of highly flammable metals like magnesium and zirconium plus oxidizable cutting lubricants, though.

In the US, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is the recognized authority for promulgation of standards pertaining to fire safety and materials handling so as to avoid fire hazards. They probably have a standard that pertains to process design/controls and work practices for your industry type. www.nfpa.org (http://www.nfpa.org)