The DENIOS Guide to Safe Drum Storage
In every industry, many hazardous materials are stored in drums. Drums must be transported safely to the workplace to ensure an efficient production process, and filling and dispensing operations may also have to be undertaken.
Improper handling can quickly lead to environmental, fire, and health hazards. The dangers arise not only from the drum's contents but also from the handling of the drums.
By manually transporting, lifting, or holding drums, employees are exposed to various dangers and risks. Avoid risks and ensure safe working conditions for employees who handle drums in daily operations.
The following FAQs provide valuable tips on storing and handling hazardous substances in drums.
Which drum is suitable for the stored media?
When storing hazardous materials, suitable material for the held media must be chosen to ensure chemical resistance. To select the appropriate drum material, we recommend looking at the safety data sheets of the substances to be stored. There you will find all the relevant information on storage and transport.
Our media consistency list provides information on suitable container materials for various stored media.
| Chemical stored | Concentration | Steel 1), 4) | S-Steel 2) | PE 3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acetaldehyde | ≤ 40 % | ✓ | ||
| Acetaldehyde | max. poss | ✓ | ||
| Acetic acid | ✓ | |||
| Acetone | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Adhesives | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Aircraft turbine fuel | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Alcohol | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Ammonium hydroxide | ≤ 30 % | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ammonium nitrate | saturated | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ammonium solution | ✓ | |||
| Anti-freeze (car) | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Battery acid | ≤ 78% | ✓ | ||
| Benzene | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Benzoic acid | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Bio Diesel | ✓ | |||
| Boric acid | ≤ 10% | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Brake fluid | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Butanol | max. poss. | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Calcium acetate | aqueous | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Calcium chlorate, aqueous solution | ≤ 65% | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Calcium hydroxide | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Calcium hypochlorite | saturated | ✓ | ||
| Chlorbenzene | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Chloroacetic acid | ≤ 50% | ✓ | ||
| Chloric acid | ≤ 20% | ✓, 5) | ||
| Chromic acid | ≤ 20% | ✓ | ✓, 5) | |
| Citric acid | ✓, 5) | ✓ | ||
| Crude oil | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Dichlorethylene | max. poss. | ✓ | ||
| Diesel fuel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fuel | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Ferric (II) sulphate | saturated | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ferric (III) chloride | saturated | ✓ | ||
| Ferric (III) sulphate | saturated | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ethyl acetate | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Ether | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Ethyl chloride | ✓ | |||
| Ethyl glycol | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Gearbox oil | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Glycerol | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Glycolic acid | ≤ 70% | ✓ | ||
| Heating oil | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Hydrazine | ≤ 10% | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Hydrazine hydrate | aqueous | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Hydrochloric acid | > 37% | ✓, 5) | ✓, 5) | |
| Hydrogen peroxide | ≤ 95% | ✓ | ✓, 5) | |
| Isobutyl ether | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Isobutanol | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Isobutyl acetate | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Isobutyl chloride | ✓ | |||
| Iso-hexane | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Iso-pentane | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chemical stored | Concentration | Steel 1), 4) | S-Steel2) | PE 3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isopropyl alcohol (Isopropanol) | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Kerosene | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Magnesium carbonate | saturated | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Magnesium chloride | aqueous | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Magnesium nitrate | gesättigt | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Magnesium sulfate | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Methanol | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Menthol | solid | ✓ | ||
| Methyl acetate | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Methyl acrylate | ✓ | |||
| Methyl chloride | ✓ | |||
| Motor fuel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Nitric acid | ≤ 10% | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Nitrobenzene | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Oil | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Oleic acid | max. poss. | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Penthanol | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Petroleum | max. poss. | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Phenol | 100% | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Phosphoric acid | ≤ 95% | ✓ | ||
| Potassium carbonate | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Potassium chlorate | ✓ | |||
| Potassium chloride | aqueous | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Potassium chloride | ≤ saturated sol. | ✓ | ||
| Potassium hydroxide, aqueous sol. | 50% | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Potassium nitrate | 50% | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Potassium nitrate | ≤ saturated sol. | ✓ | ||
| Potassium phosphate | ≤ saturated sol. | ✓ | ||
| Potassium sulphate | ≤ saturated sol. | ✓ | ||
| Propanol | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Salicylic acid | saturated | ✓ | ||
| Silicic acid | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Sodium acetate | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Sodium bisulphate | ✓ | |||
| Sodium bisulphide | aqueous | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium carbonate | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Sodium chloride | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Sodium hydrogen sulphate | ≤ GL | ✓ | ||
| Sodium hydrogen sulphide | ≤ GL | ✓ | ||
| Sodium hydroxide | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium sulphate | ✓ | |||
| Sodium sulphide | ≤ GL | ✓ | ||
| Sodium hypochlorite | ✓, 5) | |||
| Spirits of turpentine | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Sulphuric acid | ≤ 80% | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sulphuric acid | 95% | ✓ | ||
| Sulphurous acid | saturated | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Toluene | ✓ | |||
| Urea | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Uric acid | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Xylene | ✓ | ✓ |
1) Painted (WN 1.0038) or galvanized (1.0242) steel
2) Stainless steel 1.4301 (V2A)
3) Polyethylene (PE)
4) Galvanised sump pallets are not suitable for the storage of the following liquids: organic and inorganic acids, sodium bicarbonate, caustic potassium carbonate solution as well as other alkali hydroxides, chlorinated hydrocarbons, amine, nitro compounds, acid chlorides, and other chlorides, phenol, aqueous alkaline solutions, nitrile.
What requirements must be met when storing hazardous materials in drums?
When storing hazardous materials in drums, a risk assessment must be conducted to determine whether storage poses risks to employees and the environment.
The following criteria must be considered:
Properties or state of aggregation of the stored media
Quantity of stored media
Type of storage
Activities during storage
Joint storage of different media
Working and environmental conditions: facility construction, room size, climate
Based on this, suitable precautions must be carried out to eliminate or minimise the hazards/ The following protective measures should be considered
Design of facility
Organization of work processes
Provision of appropriate equipment
Limitation of the duration and extent of exposure
Appropriate hygiene measures; regular cleaning
Avoidance of accidental release of hazardous substances
If the stored media is assigned to a water hazardous class, regulations must be observed, and a secondary containment system must be implemented.
A spill pallet should be used for any business storing clean and waste oils, fuels, chemicals, or other hazardous liquids. Designed to catch and contain drips, leaks, or spills that can occur from drums and other containers, a DENIOS spill pallet offers a safe solution for drums holding hazardous materials.
Regulations require the sump to hold 110% (or more) of the enormous container or 25% of the total volume of liquid stored, whichever is greater. All DENIOS spill pallets meet this.
It is also essential that the appropriate material for the spill pallet is chosen to ensure optimum resistance to the stored media. DENIOS offers a wide range of steel, stainless steel, and polyethylene models.
What safety precautions should be taken before decanting and filling drums?
If activities such as transferring, filling, and decanting are to be carried out, these must be assessed separately in the risk assessment. Follow the below three steps to ensure safe drum decanting and filling.
1. Take precautions to retain spills
Before decanting and refilling, appropriate precautions should be taken to prevent spills. Working only in areas specially designed for this purpose, not located within passageways or traffic routes, is advisable.
Unique filling stations can also be used for drum filling, which simultaneously serve as storage units.
Suitable absorbents should also be provided to absorb spills as quickly as possible.
Flexible shut-off barriers or duct covers also prevent environmental damage caused by releasing hazardous liquids.
2. Measures to reduce emissions
Measures to reduce emissions are necessary to reduce the emissions of vapours during work. Ensure good work area ventilation and, if necessary, install extraction systems. Care should be taken to ensure that the drums can be positioned as close to the suction.
3. Protective measures and proper preparation
Personal protective equipment (PPE) offers safety when unloading and transferring from drums. Use respiratory protective masks when a technical exhaust system is unusable or insufficient. Protective gloves and protective clothing protect the employee from skin injuries.
If hazardous substances come into contact with the skin despite protective measures, suitable auxiliary measures (for example, eye rinses and emergency showers) should be available.
If individuals work, monitoring measures must be taken to ensure the rapid availability of relief measures in an emergency.
How can drums be safely filled?
We recommend using drum funnels to prevent leaks and spills during the transfer process. Manufactured out of polyethylene or steel dependent on the stored media, our drum funnels facilitate drum-filling processes and reduce the risk of spills.
We also offer models with overfill protection. Control instruments, such as level indicators, also help prevent overfilling.
How can materials safely be decanted?
We recommend using hand pumps and electric drum pumps suitable for the medium to be pumped for decanting processes. In the case of highly flammable liquids, ex-protective measures must be tested, and explosion-proof equipment must be used.
After decanting, carefully remove the pump from the drum to minimize the release of hazardous substances and skin contact.
General safety precautions must also be considered when decanting materials stored in drums.
What is needed to mix liquids in drums?
To ensure your stored media's correct consistency and viscosity, we recommend using a mixer or agitator to mix your liquids. The mixer or agitator chosen must be suitable for the drum contents.
When mixing liquids in drums, general safety precautions must also be considered.
How are drums safely transported internally?
Special care must be taken when transporting drums, as hazardous materials can escape uncontrollably if the drum is damaged, which can have catastrophic consequences. Therefore, suitable equipment for safe internal transport should be used to reduce the risks of accidents.
Employees should be equipped with the right tools for handling drums. DENIOS has developed a wide range of products for every drum handling task, be it lifting, moving, turning, tipping or emptying, to ensure safety for both employees and the environment.
Drum trolleys and dollies are used to transport drums vertically and horizontally.
Drum lifters allow safe loading/unloading of drums.
Forklift attachments help to transport drums over long distances.
Drum tongs facilitate the lifting and turning of drums
Our products for transporting and handling drums are easy to use, meet the highest safety standards and protect employees. Make working life easier!
More Information
The information provided on this page has been compiled carefully and to the best of our knowledge. However, DENIOS Ltd cannot guarantee or assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information, whether under contract, tort, or otherwise. Therefore, the use of the content is at the user's own risk. Always ensure compliance with local and applicable legislation.