Opening Ruptured or Leaking Drums

It might be necessary to open damaged containers or drums. Never use items such as picks, chisels or firearms to open drums. Instead, use the following remote-controlled devices for opening drums:

• Pneumatically operated impact wrench to remove drum bungs
• Hydraulically or pneumatically operated drum piercers
• Backhoes equipped with bronze spikes for penetrating drum tops in large-scale operations

Follow these procedures when opening:

• Hang or balance the drum opening equipment to minimize worker exertion.
• If the drum swells or bulges, perform all steps slowly. Relieve excess pressure prior to opening from a remote location (if possible) using such devices as a pneumatic impact wrench.
• If pressure must be relieved manually, place a barrier like explosion-resistant plastic sheeting between the worker and bung to deflect anything that may be expelled as the bung is loosened.
• Open exotic drums and polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride-lined (PVC-lined) drums through the bung by removal or drilling.
• Exercise extreme caution when manipulating containers.
• Do not open or sample individual containers within laboratory packs.
• Reseal open bungs and drill openings immediately with new bungs or plugs to avoid explosions and/or vapor generation. If an open drum cannot be resealed, place the drum into an overpack (a larger drum that another drum fits into). Plug openings in pressurized drums with pressure-venting caps set to 5-psi (pounds per square inch) release to allow venting of vapor pressure.
• Decontaminate equipment after use to avoid mixing incompatible wastes.

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