Drum Excavation and Handling
The safety practices below should also be followed during excavation and handling activities to protect workers.
Drums that have been excavated must be handled with care using approved procedrues.
- Where buried drums are suspected, conduct a geophysical survey before using any construction equipment to minimize the possibility of rupture.
- Use a drum grappler where possible to minimize contact with drum. If a grappler is not available, pump or overpack drums of poor integrity before excavation.
- Ground equipment before transferring wastes to new drums.
- Use non-sparking hand tools and non-sparking bucket teeth on excavation equipment, and use plexiglass shields on vehicle cabs.
- Where slings, yokes, or other accessories must be used, workers should back away from the work area after attaching the accessory and before the drum is lifted.
- Critically swollen drums should not be handled until pressure can be relieved. Use bars that fit over the teeth of excavation buckets to prevent drum puncture.
- Where ionizing levels of radiation are detected, the Site Health and Safety Officer should be contacted; generally, the drum should be over-packed and isolated promptly.
- Where explosive or shock-sensitive material is suspected, every effort should be made to handle the drum remotely. Gas cylinders should not be dragged during handling.
- Use direct-reading air monitoring equipment when close to drums to detect any hot spots.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-5. Which action should be taken before transferring wastes to a new drum?
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