Incident Report

Subject:                   "Is it ever Safe to use Plastic Drums and Containers in Hazardous areas?"

Date of Email report:   Mon 04/04/2011

Report Detail:

In recent years there has been a proliferation of new and low cost plastic portable containers. Containers ranging in size from 1 litre bottles, to 220 litre drums and 1000 litre IBCs have provided the supply chains of the hazardous process industries with a diverse range of material packaging options. While some packaging options will require plastics that demonstrate specific levels of material  metal containers including metal drums and metal IBCs.

The increasing use of plastic containers within the hazardous process industries is coming under increasing scrutiny due to the hazards associated with static electricity. This brief article will address the issues associated with static electricity on plastic packaging, draw on reports and expertise of industry and safety bodies and provide solutions to grounding non-metallic containers, with a particular focus on composite drums and IBCs.

Additional Documentation:

Plastic Drums and Containers in Hazardous Areas