Prior to Drum or Container Handling

The ways employees should handle drums depend on the contents of the drums or containers, as well as the physical condition of the drums or containers. For these reasons, there should always be a preliminary visual inspection of drums or containers prior to handling them in any way.

A preliminary inspection will help determine the following:

• If hazards are present
• The appropriate response to these hazards
• Which drums or containers must be moved
• Which drums or containers must be sampled (to identify the wastes inside)

A preliminary inspection will also help determine how to classify the drums or containers into various hazard categories (for example, radioactive, leaking/deteriorated, bulging, explosive/shock-sensitive, containing small-volume individual containers of laboratory wastes or other dangerous materials). You will learn about each of these categories in detail.

To learn more about HAZWOPER visit our HAZWOPER 40 Hour Online Training web page.