Prior to Drum or Container Handling - Preliminary Inspection Details (Laboratory Chemicals)

During the preliminary inspection, the crew should look for marks, symbols, or words on the drums or containers that might indicate that the container holds "laboratory chemicals, reagents, or other potentially dangerous materials."

OSHA provides a table titled "Special Drum Types and Their Associated Hazards." This table refers to "Laboratory Packs." Here is the definition of laboratory packs:

"Used for disposal of expired chemicals and process samples from university laboratories, hospitals, and similar institutions. Individual containers within the lab pack are often not packed in absorbent material. They may contain incompatible materials, radioisotopes, shock-sensitive, highly volatile, highly corrosive, or very toxic exotic chemicals. Laboratory packs can be an ignition source for fires at hazardous waste sites."

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