Laboratories are bustling environments – often compact, always critical, and full of valuable, sometimes volatile materials. Whether you’re designing a new lab space or reconfiguring an existing one, how and where you store your lab’s assets can have a huge impact on safety, efficiency, and compliance.

At Restore Harrow Green, we understand that smart storage is about supporting scientific progress while safeguarding people, data, and discoveries. In this guide, we explore best practices, regulatory considerations, and creative solutions for laboratory storage, from beakers to biobanks.

1. Meeting Regulatory Requirements Through Smart Storage

Thoughtful storage plays a vital role in protecting people, preserving sample integrity, and ticking all the right boxes when it comes to regulatory compliance. Done well, it supports daily routines and long-term research alike.

Health and Safety: Improper storage of chemicals or equipment can cause serious risks, including spills, contamination, and equipment malfunction. Ensuring that each item is stored appropriately helps prevent accidents and keeps your team safe.

Regulatory Compliance: Laboratories are subject to stringent rules from authorities like the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH. Storing materials correctly is a key part of demonstrating that your lab meets all applicable standards.

Efficiency in Daily Operations: An organised space supports better workflows. Staff can locate and use essential tools and substances quickly, helping projects stay on track without unnecessary delays.

Sample Integrity: Biological and chemical samples must be stored under precise conditions to remain viable. Whether it’s temperature control or correct labelling, every detail matters in ensuring samples maintain their integrity.

Storage of Chemicals in the Laboratory: Guidelines You Can Trust: Chemical storage in laboratories is a carefully regulated process. In the UK, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 outline how to store substances safely to reduce risks to health and the environment.

Segregating Incompatible Substances: Different chemicals can react dangerously if stored together. For example, oxidisers should never be kept near flammables. Thoughtful segregation in dedicated storage units is essential to avoid hazardous interactions.

Using the Right Containers: All chemicals should be stored in leak-proof, correctly labelled containers. The container’s material must be compatible with the chemical it holds. Always refer to the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for each substance for storage recommendations.

Ventilation: Volatile substances may release fumes that pose respiratory hazards. Ventilated cabinets or fume cupboards ensure that these vapours are safely dispersed and don’t accumulate in the lab.

Secondary Containment: Trays, bunds or containment shelves are used as an additional safeguard to capture any accidental leaks or spills. This simple precaution can prevent widespread contamination.

Security and Access Control: Some substances – such as highly toxic or reactive chemicals – must be stored in locked cabinets or rooms. Ensuring these are only accessible to trained staff adds an important layer of protection.

2. Tailoring Storage to Different Laboratory Layouts

No two labs are quite the same – and that’s exactly why their storage solutions shouldn’t be either. Whether you’re working in a highly secure biosafety environment or a flexible university lab, your storage strategy should reflect the specific layout, purpose and pace of your space. Understanding these differences can help you make choices that improve flow, compliance and safety.

Biosafety Laboratories: These labs require negative pressure airflow, airtight autoclaves, and secure decontamination areas. Storage should reflect the biosafety level, ensuring strict separation of potentially infectious materials and compliance with ACDP standards.

Clinical and Diagnostic Labs: These spaces demand storage for high-turnover items like reagents, testing kits, and patient samples. Every item must be accessible yet secure, with systems in place to maintain traceability in line with UKAS and MHRA requirements.

Academic and Research Labs: Flexibility is key. With ever-changing research needs, these labs benefit from modular shelving, mobile benches, and adaptable freezer systems that support varied projects and collaborative teams.

3. Storing Lab Equipment, Chemicals, and Samples Safely

Safe, well-thought-out storage protects expensive equipment and makes sure that your work continues smoothly, safely, and in line with your protocols. Storing laboratory equipment correctly means longevity, accuracy, and easy access during procedures. Each piece of equipment may have specific requirements based on its size, function, and sensitivity.

Storing Heavy Equipment: Machines like autoclaves and centrifuges need stable, vibration-resistant surfaces. These are typically positioned low to the ground to minimise the risk of tipping or injury during handling.

Protecting Sensitive Instruments: Devices such as thermal cyclers or spectrophotometers are often sensitive to dust, static electricity, and vibration. These should be stored in clean, controlled environments – away from traffic or bench clutter – to maintain accuracy.

Organising Consumables and Tools: Consumables like pipette tips or glassware benefit from being stored in modular drawer systems or labelled shelving. Keeping frequently used items within easy reach saves time and minimises disruption to workflow.

Managing Shared Resources: Shared items, including common tools or reagents, can be organised using colour-coded storage zones or even RFID tagging to streamline tracking and reduce misplacement.

Sample Storage in Laboratories: Samples are often the most valuable items in any lab. Proper storage is crucial not only for scientific accuracy but for ethical and regulatory compliance – especially in life sciences and clinical research. For example, Restore Harrow Green offers secure, temperature-controlled biobanking for everything from single samples to full cell banks. With 24/7 monitoring, backup systems, and an easy-to-use inventory platform, your samples are safe, accessible, and fully traceable. It’s a flexible, worry-free storage solution built by scientists, for scientists.

Temperature Control: Some samples require refrigeration (2–8°C), others need to be frozen at -20°C or ultra-low temperatures of -80°C. Cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen is necessary for some biological samples. Storage units must be calibrated and monitored to maintain these strict conditions.

Preventing Cross-Contamination: Sealed, labelled vials stored in designated fridges or freezers help prevent the spread of contaminants. Separate storage for different types of samples is recommended.

Inventory Management: Using barcodes or digital tracking systems ensures you can trace every sample’s journey. This is especially critical for longitudinal studies and regulatory audits.

Maintaining Chain of Custody: Accurate records of who handled what, when, and where help uphold scientific integrity and meet external standards. For example, Restore Harrow Green’s biobanking services are designed with traceability in mind.

4. How Restore Harrow Green Supports Your Laboratory Journey

We know that storing lab essentials isn’t always easy. From a lack of space to managing delicate or high-value items, it’s common to run into challenges. But with the right support, these issues are entirely manageable. At Restore Harrow Green, we’ve seen it all – and we’re here to help you find practical, scalable solutions – such as laboratory relocations  – tailored to your specific needs.

Limited Space: Labs are rarely as large as we wish. The answer lies in clever space optimisation. Vertical racking, under-bench storage, and mobile shelving units help maximise the use of available space without compromising access.

Poor Inventory Control: It’s surprisingly easy to lose track of tools, reagents, or samples. A digital inventory system that uses barcodes or RFID tags can help you monitor stock levels, track usage, and flag items approaching expiry.

Safety Hazards: Risks often emerge when materials aren’t stored correctly. Regular safety audits, robust staff training, and strict segregation of chemicals and biological materials go a long way toward ensuring a safe lab environment.

Disaster Recovery & Long-Term Sample Storage: Unexpected events such as freezer failures, natural disasters or power outages can jeopardise years of scientific progress. That’s why having a robust backup plan is crucial.

Restore Harrow Green’s disaster recovery and biobanking services are designed to keep your valuable samples safe, no matter what. We offer temperature-controlled storage and transportation, 24/7 environmental monitoring, and redundant backup systems for maximum peace of mind. Our flexible contracts also allow for emergency support, giving you confidence that your research is protected even in worst-case scenarios.

Good laboratory storage requires tidiness of course, but it’s also about creating an environment where science can be executed confidently. When you invest in safe, strategic storage for chemicals, equipment, and samples, you’re not only staying compliant – you’re nurturing innovation.If you’re ready to enhance your laboratory’s storage systems or planning a move that requires extra care, let’s talk. Restore Harrow Green is here to help you protect what matters most. Contact Restore Harrow Green or call us on 0345 603 8774.