Alternatives to storing industrial fluids in 55-gallon drums

There are safer, better material handling schemes that you should consider

If you transport, store or dispose of industrial fluids at your facility, take a closer look at your current fluid handling system. Are spills a chronic problem? Does your system properly confine these spills? Are your employees trained to safely dispense and transport chemicals to and from workstations?

If you hesitate on any of these questions, take the time to evaluate shortcomings of your operation--before someone else does. While upgrading a fluid handling system might be a job you'd like to put on the back burner until tomorrow, there's a groundswell of environmental and safety concerns to remind you that tomorrow may very well be too late. You have an obligation to know the regulations and safety guidelines for proper handling of hazardous materials. It's important for the environment, employee safety, and the future of your business.

Protect the environment
If you generate, transport, treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 40 CFR hazardous waste regulations are required reading. These Federal regulations identify policy and procedures for effective pollution control and prevention. Under EPA 40 CFR, Part 264 (Standards for Owners and Operators of Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposable Facilities), Sections 175-178 are of particular significance for those using containers for liquid storage. EPA 40 CFR, Part 264 175-178 offers a comprehensive list of requirements and responsibilities for the safe use and management of containers.

The regulations require that a containment area must have an underlying base that is free of cracks or gaps, and sufficiently impervious to contain leaks, spills, and accumulated precipitation. The base must be sloped, or the containment system must be designed and operated to drain and remove liquids that result from leaks, spills, or precipitation--unless the containers are elevated or otherwise protected from contact with the accumulated liquids.

The capacity of the secondary containment system must be equal to ten percent of the aggregate volume of the containers or equal to the volume of the largest container, whichever is greater.

The capacity of the secondary containment system must be equal to ten percent of the aggregate volume of the containers or equal to the volume of the largest container, whichever is greater. You must prevent run-on into the containment system unless the collection system has sufficient excess capacity to contain any run-on that might enter the system.

Spilled or leaked waste and accumulated precipitation must be removed from the sump or collection area in a timely manner to prevent overflow of the collection system. If the collected material is a hazardous waste under 40 CFR 261, it must be managed as a hazardous waste.

Protect your employees
Do your employees lift and transport containers or drums to work stations? If so, know your ergonomics. A mismatch between the physical requirements of the job and the physical capacity of the worker can result in repetitive stress injuries. Considering the weight of a full 55-gallon drum (500+ pounds), the most likely injuries to occur when handling these containers are to the back and hand.

While incidences of back pain may seem minor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that ergonomic illnesses and injuries are the nation's most common and costly occupational health problem. They affect hundreds of thousands of American workers and cost more than $20 billion a year in workers' compensation. Indirect costs may run as high
as $100 billion.

These staggering numbers prompted many businesses to institute a variety of effective ergonomics programs to reduce injuries. In the long run, these programs can reduce absenteeism, turnover and lost time, save workers' compensation costs; and improve productivity and product quality.

OSHA reports that simple and inexpensive changes in the workplace can prevent many repetitive stress injuries. This includes reducing the size or number of items workers must lift and providing lifting equipment to help workers.

The good news is that employers are listening. The Center for Workplace Health Information reports that fewer U.S. companies are being cited for ergonomics-related violations, with dramatically less severe penalties, according to a 10-year examination of OSHA inspection records. During a four-year period from January 1994 through December 1997, OSHA cited 64 companies for ergonomics or lifting violations--about 1.3 citations per month. During the same four-year period, the average penalty was about $3,000.

For comparison, a look at earlier OHSA data from 1987 to 1994 shows 2.1 citations per month, with an average penalty of $13,000. That's a 38 percent drop in the number of companies cited for ergonomic violations and a 77 percent drop in the average fine. The Center for Workplace Health Information also reports that OSHA is revamping its workplace injury and illness record-keeping standard. Since 1972 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies repeated trauma as an illness, not an injury, because they are not sudden, instantaneous traumatic events. Back strains and sprains are classified as injuries even though they might be cumulative in nature. OSHA 300, expected in 1998, will eliminate the illness category and require employers to record incidents. The repeated trauma category will include back injuries.

Protect your business
If unconfined spills and leaks are a common occurrence at your facility, your approach to fluid handling is putting you at risk. Unconfined spills are costly as regulatory agencies continue to impose fines--not to mention your expense in increased clean-up and labor costs.

Storing liquids in drum presents several other problems that affect your bottom line. Accurate inventory control is impossible with drum storage; there are often product shortages or costly extra drums of back-up product. Drums also take up a lot of space--nine 55-gallon drums require 120 square feet and additional acreage for tipping, cleaning, switching, and replacing--a drain on productive work time and physical space.

Accurate inventory control is impossible with drum storage; there are often product shortages or costly extra drums of back-up product.

Product waste is another problem inherent with drum storage. Most 55-gallon drums are returned to the supplier with anywhere from two to five gallons of product still in them. Over time, this translates into a significant dollar loss.

Many facilities opt for fluid handling systems that eliminate drum storage. These types of systems provide clean transfer of product, sight gauges for constant inventory control, and cut flow retrieval time 50 to 75 percent over drums and pumps.

You can't afford to ignore the spills or leaks from a faulty fluid handling system. Not only are they a hazard to your employees and the environment, but in the long run, the costs involved in cleanup and extra man hours will drain your bottom line.