Which storage practice helps prevent mixing incompatible materials?

• A. Pooling incompatible materials
• B. Designing storage areas and warehouses such that incompatible materials are segregated from each other
• C. Shuffling containers
• D. Labeling only

Answer: (B)

Segregating materials by compatibility in storage blocks the opportunity for incompatible substances to come into contact and react. By assigning different areas, shelves, or rooms to separate groups—such as oxidizers away from fuels, acids away from bases, and water-reactives away from water-containing substances—you reduce the chance that a spill, leak, or container breach will lead to a dangerous chemical interaction. Using physical barriers, dedicated storage zones, and appropriate secondary containment supports this separation and helps ensure that reactive combinations aren’t stored together or inadvertently mixed.

Labeling and other practices help with identification or handling, but they don’t prevent contact between incompatible materials. Pooling materials or shuffling containers can bring incompatible substances into proximity, increasing the risk of a hazardous reaction.