> We are considering any materials: wood, steel, etc. Does anyone have any experience with this? Safety and the longevity of the shelves are the important factors.

I'm not sure what you have in mind for longevity in terms of years, but our sciences building was rebuilt in the 2004 time frame and the wooden lab benches and cabinets are beginning to show their age significantly. The pull handles on some benches are falling off, a wall mounted cabinet (which oddly was provided with a vent in the back and an intake opening in the front) is sagging enough that we decommissioned it, and last summer (which was the most humid in New Hampshire in many years) mold started growing on the cabinets in specific parts of the lab where ventilation effectiveness is comprised.

I'm not sure if this degradation was the result of inappropriate (solid and liquid) chemicals being stored in them for 15+ years or if the lowest bidder system is making itself evident, but I would err on the side of metal shelves if possible. And, for longevity purposes, a good chemical inventory system with well defined shelf lives for anything stored in these cabinets. Chemicals in storage may react slowly, but they do react.

Good luck!

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
ralph**At_Symbol_Here**rstuartcih.org

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