Storing or Transporting Hazardous Materials? Bring on the Poly Drums!
By Does your business transport hazardous chemicals or waste? Whether you need to move them thousands of miles away or just from one area of your facility to another, you must ensure that the hazardous materials are transported in safe containers.
Hazardous waste containers
According to EPA regulations, owners or operators of businesses that handle hazardous substances must use a container made of or lined with materials that will not react with hazardous waste, so that the container can safely and securely hold the substance. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires hazardous waste containers to be clearly identified before the waste is transported. A label should indicate the type of waste in the container, including its name, characteristics, and handling requirements.
One common hazardous material container is the polyethylene (poly) drum. Factories, warehouses, and various other facilities use poly drums to store and transport hazardous chemicals safely. But which type is right for your business? Use this guide to determine which poly drum you need.
Lab pack drums — These drums are ideal for storing small quantities of chemicals that cannot be disposed in the trash or down the drain. You can use lab pack drums to transport hazardous chemicals, such as dry cleaning compounds, strippers, pool chemicals, acids, bases, inks, degreasers, and solvents. All lab pack drums comply with DOT regulations, so the waste can safely be transported to a hazardous waste disposal facility.
Salvage drums — Federal and state regulations require businesses that use large or small containers of certain hazardous chemicals to use salvage drums to transport or store those chemicals. Such chemicals include acids, bases, dry cleaning compounds, strippers, pool chemicals, inks and dyes, degreasers, paints, pesticides, solvents, and thinners. You can use salvage drums to transport any of these materials, to hold soiled spill-cleanup materials, for storage, or as spill-containment or original shipping containers.
Overpack drums — You can use these drums to store and transport soiled absorbents or for spill containment of leaking or damaged containers of up to 55 gallons. Regulations require overpack drums for businesses that have small or large containers of hazardous chemicals. Companies such as spill-containment contractors, transportation companies, labs, medical facilities, warehouses, and manufacturers commonly choose to use these drums.
Poly drums are essential tools for businesses that deal with hazardous materials. Make sure your business is compliant by having the right poly drums on hand in your workplace.
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