Staging

For optimum safety, drum and container handling should be kept to a minimum. However, there will be times that drums must be moved - in an organized way, and to predetermined areas - in order to protect the drums from site conditions. (For example, the site's high temperatures, or the equipment used on site, could potentially lead to drum explosions; therefore, it is best to move the drum or container.)

OSHA refers to this transfer as "staging." In its publication No. 3114 (titled "Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response"), OSHA refers to staging as "a trade-off between the increased hazards associated with drum movement and the decreased hazards associated with the enhanced organization and accessibility of the waste materials."* In essence, while staging might at times be the safest option, it is still by no means a safe activity.

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