Celebrated as a trendy, green option for storage, homes, and temporary offices, shipping containers have gained media attention over the past few years. With the media attention comes the rumors, both good and bad.
From exploding containers to tales of noxious chemicals, these stories tend to terrify. Before you write modified shipping containers off, we’d like to address these fears and sort out the fact from the fiction.
Exploding Shipping Containers and Proper Ventilation
It’s true that shipping containers used as storage facilities have exploded in the past when near a fire. The reason for this is simple: shipping containers are designed to protect their contents from extreme weather, so unmodified containers do not come with proper (or any) ventilation.
If you are storing Christmas decorations, seasonal clothing, gardening tools, or other basic items, this poses no issue. However, it becomes a problem if you wish to store weedwhackers, lawn mowers, or any other item that requires gasoline.
The gasoline fumes gather in the unventilated shipping container, causing a fire hazard. The lack of ventilation causes further problems if the gas is ignited since the pressure of the sealed container essentially creates a bomb.
Don’t run away just yet; the solution to this explosive issue is simple. If you choose to store items in an unventilated shipping container, make sure that you aren’t storing anything that emits flammable fumes. If you wish to use a shipping container to store items that require gasoline, make sure that you include proper ventilation in your container modifications.
Containers will never spontaneously explode. Do your due diligence, and make sure that your modified shipping container adheres to safety procedures.
Side note: When you receive a storage container through Simple Box, we always make sure that your container is 100% safe so you won’t have to worry. All of our containers include air vents for the safety of our customers. Additionally, we provide the option for customers to add on our Insta Container Vents for extra airflow so that you can sleep easy knowing that your belongings are stored safely.
Hazardous Chemicals and Making the Container Safe for Human Occupancy
It’s a very common rumor that the wooden floors of shipping containers are sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals to protect its contents from rats and bugs along its journey. These chemicals are supposedly unsafe for humans and can cause issues when inhaled for long periods of time.
While it is true that the wooden floors are sprayed with pesticides, toxicity tests ran by the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, LLC found that the wood floors are safe for humans, even with the pesticide sprays.
However, if you are still concerned about the chemicals in the floors, the fix is easy: you can either cover the original flooring with non-breathable flooring, or simply remove the original wood floors before adding your own.
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