UN-rated drums can be used to contain hazardous materials during transportation and storage. Each drum that is rated to these standards is tested for impact, pressure, weight tolerance, and leak resistance. In the United States, the Department of Transportation enforces adherence to these requirements when shipping and storing hazardous solids and liquids.
Understanding the fundamentals of UN-rated drums and the benefits of using these drums can help protect your company from liability, shutdowns, and dangerous incidents.
Importance of UN Ratings
Hazardous materials can pose an ongoing risk to people, property, and the environment if they aren’t properly contained. The United Nations’ drum ratings serve to help mitigate the risk of leakage or corrosion and create consistent material standards for moving hazardous materials across country lines.
Types of goods that require containers meeting or exceeding UN standards include:
- Corrosives
- Explosives
- Flammable gases or liquids
- Flammable solids
- Non-flammable gases
- Organic peroxide
- Oxidizers
- Toxic materials
- Radioactive material
Because UN-rated drums have clear markings that display what performance standards the containers meet, carriers and enforcement teams can readily evaluate the integrity of the containers to be sure the proper drums have been used for the given conditions.
Other Advantages of Using UN-Rated Drums
Proper containment using UN-rated drums can protect the environment from HAZMAT risks, including damage to animals, plant life, the soil, and surface or ground water. While certain applications are required to use UN-rated drums, voluntarily complying with these regulations can help companies avoid potential incidents, fines, and penalties.
Additional benefits of using UN-rated drums are maintaining safety. UN-rated drums are tested to ensure they meet or exceed strength and damage resistance specifications, meaning you and your workers can have greater peace of mind that the hazardous materials won’t leak out or pose a health risk.
Choosing the Right UN-Rated Drum
There are many different types of UN-rated drums available, with each one built for differing materials and conditions. Consider these factors to select the right container for every task:
- Material. The type of hazardous material you need to contain is one of the biggest factors. Once you know the material you need to store or transport, you can identify the matching UN rating.
- Container material. Another key aspect is the composition of the container itself. Drums can be constructed from different metals or specialty plastics to prevent corrosion, rust, and leakage.
- Application conditions. Determine whether the container is for storage or transportation. Also evaluate the surrounding conditions, such as the moisture, temperature, exposure to UV radiation, and more. Different UN ratings accommodate different environmental conditions.
- Legal compliance. UN ratings often set the standard, but you may also need to consider additional international, federal, and regional requirements set by separate governmental and industrial bodies.
Choose UN-Rated Drums at McManus
McManus supplies companies with UN-rated drums that can safely store hazardous materials in stationary or mobile conditions. Since 1965, we’ve been committed to environmental responsibility and helping people choose the right containers for overall safety and compliance. Our team can supply you with drums, recondition existing equipment, and recycle your drums at the end of their lifespan. We also provide pails, jugs, intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), and storage equipment.
Contact us today to explore our selection of UN-rated containers or to learn more about UN container ratings. You can also request a quote for pricing details.