I am hoping for some help to guide me in the right direction. I have been asked what are the requirements for safe storage of paint that is displayed for retail sale, it needs to be displayed, but will remain unopened. The company sells other products such as machinery so it is not a shop/store selling paint only. Many thanks for any help offered.

A trip to that well known motor factor chain will give you some indication of what EHOs will accept. What's the surname of the lead singer in Judas Priest again? That's it - Halford! The insurer may have a say in this matter though.

Oh those halcion days when as a Petroleum Officer (PO) I trawled through the paint stores of car sprayers, furniture varnishers etc where quantaties of Xylene and petroleum based paints were stored and used. The Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 etc (PCA) was the prime legislation then; Highly Flammable Liquids and Liquified Gas Regs was a Factories Act based legislation not generally enforced in shops etc. Then came the big change in 2002 with the Dangerous Subs and Explosive Atmospheres Regs (DSEAR). The PCA lives on for Petroleum Retail Stations, still controlled through enabled 'Petroleum Licences' with prescriptive conditions some of which were/are contra to HASWA practice. DSEAR controls nearly everything else the PCA used to cover including can storage. Risk assess and control are the principles. Gives you the ability to manage your risk instead of being told what to do by a PO, many of whom are Trading Standards Officers ill appointed in Health and Safety. Always assume that if there is a risk of fire or explosion from a substance then DSEAR kicks in as well as reviewing the Fire Risk Assessments under RR(FS)O.

No links with Judas Priest - don't want to fall foul of "Breakin' the Law"! I too remember days as a PO. Not sure many of them were halcyon though, I used to get a lot of grief!