Drum Handling Safety: Factors of risk and safety guidelines

Posted by ukliftingstore on September 20th, 2019

Industrial drum handling equipment’s of any size comes with a significant risk at the workplace for any person employed in material handling or warehousing occupations. With the average gallon weighing about 500-600 lbs., manually decanting, transporting or otherwise handling the drums is not only demanding physically but also the dangerous task for any worker.

Manual handling of the drums is not only considered to be the potential safety hazard for the employees but it is also the inefficient method of accomplishing various industrial drum handling applications. With other dangerous occupations, these risks can be managed by combining the appropriate equipment and proper safety process. Safe handling of the industrial drums also requires not only the awareness but also the on-going education around the hazards faced by the ones working with the industrial drums.

Risk Factors

Material handling situations, all of them has their own risk factors for each application which is why it is essential to handle drums always as safe as it could. Taking the time to know about the challenges connected with the job is an imperative first step in managing them. Some of the most common safety hazards connected with industrial drum handling equipment’sinclude:

    • The shape and size of the drums make the lightest, as well as empty drums, handle it manually.
    • Heavy drums that can’t be manually handled.
    • Drums storage in the restricted areas where the motion range of the worker is restricted severely.
    • Confined spaces where workers won’t be able to use the forklifts or any other material handling the equipment.
    • Drums that are half-filled have the potential to shift weight in transportation.
    • Unsafe conditions of the floor where clutter, slipperiness or uneven surfaces can lead to falls or trips.
 

Management techniques and potential complications

Drums handling in an improper manner can have the consequences for both long and short term, which include disfigurement, death, injuries, burns, and disorder. While various applications need different strategies of risk-reduction, the techniques mentioned below are common to the entire work environment:

 

Clothing for protection

Proper headgear, work gloves, and footwear are imperative to wear when handling the drums. Make sure that every employee working on it has access to appropriate clothing.

 

Environmental management

A clean place of work is the best one to work in a safe place. Keep the areas of work free of clutter and dust. Ensure that space consists of lighting and ramps installation or other solutions that can be accessed as necessary.

 

Right equipment

Make sure that the workers are offered and trained on the equipment where they could handle the drums efficiently and safely.

It is essential to have the right drum handling equipment’sfor the job and it is also necessary to know how to use them effectively.

 

Summary:

The equipment should be designed in a way so that they could handle the applications effectively.

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ukliftingstore
Joined: September 20th, 2019
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