Last month I talked to an EHS manager at a chemical plant. He said something that stuck with me: “I replace my steel cabinet every two years. I’m used to it.” He stores HCl and sulfuric acid. By year two, the bottom panel starts leaking. So he swaps it out. He didn’t think twice about it — “it’s cheap enough, just replace it.” I get that logic. But the math doesn’t add up. Replace a steel cabinet every two years. Add the labor of transferring chemicals, disposing of the old unit, and the risk of one leak hitting the floor before you catch it. By the time you add it all up, you’re not saving anything. The real problem is: most people don’t know when their steel cabinet is past its limit. This post gives you four clear signs — plus a self-check to tell you whether it’s time to switch. 4 Signs It’s Time to Replace — If You Have Two, Replace It Sign 1: Hinges feel stiff and show rust dust This is the earliest sign. Steel hinges oxidize fast in acid vapor. First the door feels “sticky” when you open it. Then brown rust dust shows up…