Drum Handling Equipment Safety

Drum Handling Equipment Safety
Drum Handling Equipment Safety teaser

17 Jan 2018

Any business that uses drums needs to have effective Drum Handling Equipment. There are a number of different reasons why you need the right equipment to handle drums. These are largely centred around safety. The other big reasons is efficiency. Getting drums transported safely, in an organised and timely way is important. We have taken a look at top tips for the safe and efficient transportation of drums in your business.


Eliminates rolling

Drums are heavy and too difficult to carry by hand. Before the creation of proper drum handling equipment people would simply turn the drum on its side and roll it. The lack of control over the drum coupled with the inability to stop and start it resulted in injuries and accidents. There is a piece of drum handling equipment for every type of drum and every business need. This means there is no need to roll drums and risk injury to workers, accidents, spillage and wasted time trying to control an unruly drum.

galvanised drum lifter

Above: Galvanised Drum Lifter


Securing drums

Now you have the right equipment, it's important to use it properly. Checking that at drum is secure in the drum handling equipment is an essential part of using the equipment. If the drums aren’t secure, they could simply fall off at any point in the transportation process reeking more havoc and disruption. All it takes is a quick safety check to make sure the drum is secure. There are various ways in which you can secure drums to ensure they don’t come loose.

grip type lift tip drum handler

Above: Grip Type Lift & Tip Drum Handler

Fit for purpose

It is important that your drum handling equipment is fit for purpose. For example, you might need a drum handler that attaches to a forklift. Alternatively, you might need a simple manual handler for small transfers. The weight, manoeuvrability and material that the handling equipment is made can also factor into your decision over which type you might need.

single drum lifter

Above: Forklift Attachments - Drum Lifter

Inspecting equipment

Ensuring the equipment you are going to use as part of your transportation of drums is important. If you are transporting a drum onto a pallet, it is important to check that the pallet isn’t damaged or have anything sticking out that could potentially pierce or rupture the drum. Make sure you are using the right piece of drum handling equipment for the task and that is able to safely handle the weight of the drum.

mulit drum lifter

Above: Drum Handling Tools

Know the drum contents

Most drums contain corrosive and harmful substances. It is imperative that the people handling the drums know the safe handling precautions to take. This comes hand in hand with making sure anybody that handles drums and equipment knows which equipment to use. They also need to know what to do if a leakage or accident happens.

It's important to get the right equipment and training when handling drums that contain hazardous substances. This is for both safety and overall efficiency. With a large collection of drum handling equipment available, it can be tough to know exactly which one your business will get the most benefit from. If you aren't sure you can check out our wide selection or chat with one of our helpful team.

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