NEW RESOURCE - Chlorine Emergency Kit Inspection & Storage Guidance

The Chlorine Institute (CI) has many chlorine emergency response resources, including instruction booklets and videos for the Chlorine Institute Emergency Kits “A” (A-Kit), “B” (B-Kit), and “C” (C-Kit).  CI and its members often receive questions regarding the replacement recommendations for the kit gaskets.  Through these inquiries, we have discovered that some parties keep their Viton® gaskets much longer than the four-year shelf-life recommendation or the gaskets are not stored in a condition that allows them to last as long as four years.

For this reason, CI’s Emergency Preparedness Issue Team recently developed new inspection & storage guidance for the chlorine emergency kits, which was missing from the currently published instructions.  The team feels if stakeholders perform a periodic inspection of the kits and gaskets and store the kits in appropriate conditions, it should allow the gaskets to remain in good condition (and ready for use) for at least as long as the four-year shelf-life recommendation.  In this new guidance, CI recommends at least an annual inspection of the chlorine emergency kits and that gaskets should be replaced in any of the following situations:

• after each use in an emergency;
• if certain adverse conditions are identified during inspection; or
• no later than four years from the date of manufacture. 

This guidance also recommends the use of a checklist for inspection and provides a sample checklist.  The new guidance document can be downloaded from CI’s website (under CI Information Bulletins, titled “Chlorine Emergency Kit Inspection & Storage Guidance”) and may be shared broadly throughout the first responder community:  https://www.chlorineinstitute.org/emergency-preparedness/emergency-response-resources/

Over the next year, CI will incorporate the new inspection and storage guidance into the instruction booklets for the A-Kit, B-Kit, and C-Kit.  After the updated instruction booklets are published, the related instructional videos will be updated to address the new guidance.  Until the updated instruction booklets are published, this CHLOREP Bulletin with the new inspection and storage guidance should be used alongside the respective instruction booklets.

CI’s chlorine emergency kit publications are listed below (with bookstore links):

• IB/A) Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit “A” for 100-lb. & 150-lb. Chlorine Cylinders
• IB/B) Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit “B” for Chlorine Ton Containers
• IB/C) Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit “C” for Chlorine Tank Cars & Tank Trucks (English and Spanish versions)
• A-VIDEO) TheChlorine Institute Emergency Kit “A” and Recovery Vessel Instructional Video
• B-VIDEO) How to Use The Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit “B” for Chlorine Ton Containers
• C-VIDEO) How to Use The Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit “C” for Chlorine Tank Cars and Tank Trucks

These safety publications and more are available for download and streaming for free to first responders.  Simply email CI at bookstore@CL2.com with a request.  Additional resources can be found on CI’s website at www.chlorineinstitute.org.  Inquiries about CI’s chlorine emergency response resources and training opportunities can be directed to info@CL2.com.