It seems that lubricant storage is always an afterthought. Tools and equipment storage is generally a priority – every has tool its place and is kept track of. Lubricants, on the other hand, are typically stored in inconvenient areas, dirty areas, and places that are prone to contamination (outdoors, sheds, leaking and dusty places).  Lubricants should be treated no differently than your other tools. They are the life blood of equipment and are essentially another tool keeping your equipment moving. So, it’s important that this tool also has a proper storage place, one that is clean cool and dry.

Many sites do not invest the energy, funds, or time into proper lubricant storage. Did you know that 1 teaspoon of dirt can contaminate a barrel of oil and make it up to two ISO codes dirtier! New oil can be 8 to 16 times more contaminated than OEM recommended cleanliness levels for operating fluid. Proper lubricant storage is a major element of contamination control.   

Lube Room Design

Lube room design is important – this helps make sure it gets used and used properly. A lube room is not only for storage, it’s also good for other lubrication-related tasks like inspecting oil filters, topping up, or storing and cleaning sealable and refillable containers.

Room design begins with allocating the correct amount of space which will vary significantly depending on the size of the facility. As well as the space allocation, there are some basic requirements for a proper lube room:

• Location
• Fire safety
• Worker safety
• Ergonomics
• Lubricant mixing control
• Lubricant contamination ingress control
• Procedures for bringing new oil into service
• Ability to document actions (record keeping)

Lubricant Storage

While the design of the lube room is important, we also need to consider how lubricants are stored. Here are a few tips of what to include:

• Clean, safe, expandable containers
• Limited access door, with a record of people who enter
• Clear, marked landing area for new lubricants
• Log of deliveries (computer to track inventory)
• Fireproof storage for top up containers, grease guns, etc.
• Defined and posted policies and procedures in case of spills, wastage, accidents or any unexpected lubrication issues.

Every lubricant needs to be stored in the right container and in right quantities for your operational needs. Lubricants can be stored in variety of ways such as in bulk, totes, drums, jugs, grease tubes, or grease barrels. Each container should be stored according to manufacturer recommendations and best practices.

For example, bulk oil drums should be stacked horizontally, drum bungs at 90 degrees, in a storage rack with containment below.

Regardless of the storage container, you should monitor your lubricants for expiration dates and contamination on a regular basis and consider implementing First-In-First out (FIFO) procedures.

Organization is key

Ensuring your site has a safe place to store lubricants is imperative, not an afterthought. This will prevent  lubricants from getting contaminated, degraded and being unfit for use. This dedicated space allows the lubricant to be able to last longer and be more readily available when needed. Organization is key to ensure all lubricants have a proper place and that workers do not sustain injury.