| Chemical Safety: Drum Funnels, Drum Faucets, | | | | purchased for when controlled access to drums is |
| and Safety Cans | | | | desired. |
| When leafing through an industrial safety | | | | Drum faucets - Drum faucets are used when |
| equipment catalog, you may be tempted to skip | | | | material from a drum is regularly transferred into |
| past the pages with drum funnels, drum faucets, | | | | other containers. Tipping the drum or other |
| and safety cans. However, the fact is, these are | | | | makeshift measures can result in spills, slopping |
| all important pieces of safety equipment in the | | | | over, and wasted product. Drum faucets allow |
| workplace-and they can save you money too! | | | | you to start, stop, or change the speed of the |
| Chemical spills in the workplace-even those that | | | | liquid for controlled dispensing into smaller |
| are simply from petroleum products like oil and | | | | containers, reducing spills from overfills or slopping. |
| grease-pose risks to your workers in a number | | | | Faucets are available that are self-closing (so that |
| of ways. Exposure to spilled chemicals can affect | | | | a worker can't inadvertently walk off and leave |
| your employees' health (either immediately or in | | | | the faucet open and running onto the floor) and |
| the long-term) and can pose physical hazards, | | | | include built-in flame arrestors to minimize the |
| depending on the chemical, such as burns, slips, | | | | danger of flashback for use with drums storing |
| and falls. And, as with most things related to | | | | flammable liquids. |
| safety, a little prevention is worth a pound of | | | | (Note: Flame arrestors on drum funnels and |
| cure-that's where drum faucets, drum funnels, | | | | faucets are not the same as having the drum |
| and safety cans come in. | | | | bonded and grounded. Whenever flammable |
| Dispensing and transfer | | | | materials are dispensed from drums, they must |
| Two of the primary points where spills occur is | | | | be properly bonded and grounded to prevent fire |
| when liquids are being dispensed and when liquids | | | | and explosion.) |
| are being transferred from one container to | | | | Safety cans -Safety cans are useful for storage |
| another. Taking steps to minimize spills at these | | | | of small quantities of most hazardous chemicals |
| points will mitigate the vast majority of the spills | | | | and are generally a regulatory requirement for the |
| in your workplace-reducing risks to your | | | | storage of flammable liquids such as gasoline, paint |
| employees and reducing the waste that occurs | | | | thinners, varnishes, and solvents. These types of |
| when material is spilled (and costs incurred from | | | | liquids readily produce vapors which can be ignited, |
| the wasted material and the material and disposal | | | | causing fire, explosions, and property damage and |
| costs!). | | | | injuries. Safety cans provide features that |
| Drum funnels - Drum funnels are wide-mouth | | | | "regular" storage containers do not, including |
| funnels that make it easier for materials to be | | | | better chemical resistance (thus, a properly |
| poured into a drum cleanly, preventing spills and | | | | selected safety can is less likely to become |
| drips. They are meant to stay on a drum while | | | | compromised and leak when storing an aggressive |
| material is being added to it (i.e., they aren't taken | | | | chemical) and venting to prevent pressure build up |
| on and off repeatedly) and include lids, often | | | | (reducing the risk of fire and explosion and sudden |
| self-closing, to keep material in and contaminants | | | | release of liquid upon opening). They also generally |
| out. Drum funnels often incorporate safety | | | | provide features for spill prevention while pouring |
| features such as flame arrestors to absorb and | | | | such as leak tight, self-closing caps and handles on |
| dissipate heat so that it doesn't reach flammable | | | | larger containers that utilize gravity-assisted |
| contents (like solvents, fuels, and paint thinners) | | | | pouring to allow better control of the container |
| and automatic pressure and vacuum relief for | | | | while pouring. |
| drums storing materials that produce vapors. (This | | | | In case of a spill |
| improves safety in two ways. First, by not | | | | Even when measures such as drum funnels, drum |
| allowing vapors to build up, it reduces the chance | | | | faucets, and safety cans are used, spills can still |
| of fire or explosion. Second, liquid under pressure | | | | happen. Workers should always be trained on the |
| can spray out when the cap of the drum is open, | | | | hazards of the chemicals they handle and how to |
| relieving the pressure prevents workers from | | | | safely and properly clean up any spills that do |
| being sprayed with chemical when opening the | | | | occur. |
| drum.) Locking drum funnels can also be | | | | |