Safety Tip of the Week – Safe Handling 55-Gallon Drums

With the average 55-gallon drum weighing between 400-600 pounds, manually transporting, decanting, or otherwise handling drums is not only physically demanding, but also a potentially dangerous task for any worker.

Risk Factors:

At least four serious injuries can occur if a 55-gallon drum is not handled safely:

• Fractures;

• Lacerations;

• Hernias; and/or

• Back strain.

By taking a few precautions before you attempt to move a drum, you can help prevent these serious and painful injuries.

Some of the common safety hazards associated with industrial drum handling include:

• Heavy drums that can’t be handled manually;

• A size and shape that makes the lightest, or even empty, drums unwieldy to handle manually;

• Confined spaces in which workers are unable to use forklifts or other material handling equipment;

• Storage of drums in restricted spaces where worker range of motion is severely restricted.

• Unsafe floor conditions in which slipperiness, clutter, or uneven surfaces can cause trips or falls.

• Half-filled drums that have the potential to shift their weight while in transport;

• Hazardous materials that can leak out of improperly sealed drums; and

• High volumes of industrial drums, even when movedsafely, can lead to overexertion and musculoskeletal strain associated from manual handling.

  
  

  Keep safety in mind…It will save your behind!!