In contrast to conventional transport tasks, the in-house transport of hazardous substances has an increased risk potential. Because there are not only physical health risks from manual lifting of heavy loads or typical stumbling, slipping and falling accidents. There is also a not inconsiderable risk of damaging the cargo in the event of an accident. As a result, hazardous substances can escape in an uncontrolled manner and have devastating effects.
In our FAQ you will find out what you should know about the internal transport of dangerous substances. In addition, we give you important information in our checklist for the safe transport of hazardous substances in your company and inform you about suitable aids.
If a container is improperly transported or damaged during transport, uncontrolled leakage of hazardous substances can quickly occur. Depending on the substances, there are different risks. If, for example, the substance is classified as dangerous for the environment, penetration into the soil and surrounding waters can cause considerable environmental damage. Many substances can damage health through skin contact, inhalation or ingestion. Flammable substances can form a dangerous explosive atmosphere with ambient air.
Gases under pressure are also hazardous substances. The risk of damaging a gas bottle is greatly increased during transportation. The valve, which is the weakest point in the bottle, can tear off during a fall. This can lead to a sudden escape of pressurized contents. If this happens, gas bottles could even penetrate concrete walls.
The respective safety data sheet (SDS) shows which dangers are posed by the substances used in your company. The employer must also provide appropriate labeling so that employees can clearly identify the hazardous substances.
Here a few examples:
As with conventional transport tasks, the issue or ergonomics must be observed. If the hazardous substances are in large, heavy containers such as barrels, manual transport means a high level of physical strain and an increased risk of injury to the employee.
Prepare for the transport of hazardous materials | Done? |
Carry out a risk assessment: Before starting work, carry out a risk assessment and answer the following question:
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Create protective measures: Create suitable protective measures for the transport of hazardous materials from your risk assessment.
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Educate employees: Educate your employees specifically on the safe handling of chemicals in the workplace
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Carry out hazardous substance transportation carefully! | Done? |
Identify hazardous materials: Before transport, determine which hazardous material it is and which protective measures are provided for this in the operating instructions. | ❏ |
Check labeling: Before transport, check whether there is proper labeling (especially when receiving the goods and if the hazardous material has previously been transferred from the original container to the other containers) | ❏ |
Wear PPE: Never work with hazardous materials before you have put on the intended personal protective equipment (PPE) - this also applies to transport! | ❏ |
Check the container for damage: Check the packaging or container for damage before transporting. If there is damage, the container should be replaced or it should be ensured that the dangerous substances cannot leak during transport. | ❏ |
Close the container tightly: Before transporting, check that the container is tightly closed. The closure cap should be attached to gas cylinders. | ❏ |
Use suitable transport aids: Use only suitable aids for the transport of hazardous materials and check that they work properly before using them. | ❏ |
Attach transport lock: Make sure you have good load securing when transporting hazardous materials. Tools such as drum handling equipment or gas cylinder carts are usually equipped with a transport lock as standard (in the form of a belt or chain), which ensures a secure hold. For many other products, spill pallets are optionally available for matching load securing sets. |
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Always stay on track: Only drive on the designated traffic routes. | ❏ |
Keep distance: Keep sufficient distance from doors, gates, stairs or passages. | ❏ |
Ensure safe storage: Before storing hazardous substances, check whether combined storage is permitted. | ❏ |
DENIOS security products reduce transportation risks to a minimum and ensure the safe and efficient transportation of your hazardous materials. Below you will find an overview of our product range for more occupational safety when transporting hazardous substances.
Safety and ergonomics in drum handling
In many companies, hazardous substances are stored in drums. However, the need for safe and ergonomic transportation is often underestimated. Improper handling can lead to serious environmental and health risks:
The overturning of a drum quickly results in damage or in the uncontrolled escape of hazardous substances. In addition, employees are exposed to severe physical stress due to manual transport, lifting or holding drums.
DENIOS offers an extensive selection of suitable work equipment to minimize the risks of in-house transport of hazardous substances in drums.
Drum dollies consist of a stable floor platform with smooth-running castors. They make it easy to maneuver standing drums in the workplace and to transport them over short distances. Thanks to their light, space-saving design and special maneuverability, drum dollies for use in areas with little space.
With a drum cart, heavy drums can be transported over great distances with significantly reduced effort. An integrated transport lock (in the form of a belt or chain) ensures a secure hold. Some models offer practical additional functions, for loading spill pallets.
Drum lifters are indispensable aids when loading (spill pallets or shelves). The energy-saving saving and precise lifting and lowering of the drum is usually realized using a lifting drawbar or foot hydraulics. Integrated swivel castors as
Special application situations, such as loading a salvage drum or lifting a drum from the back row requires special drum handling products. Here crane attachments or drum hoists are the means of choice. They consist of stable steel or flexible chain structures that are simply hooked onto the crane.
Do drums often have to be transported over long distances and outdoors? Don't want to buy a completely new machine? No problem! With practical attachments, your forklift can be retrofitted so that drums can be picked up and transported. The welded steel structures are simply picked with the forks of the truck.
Spill Carts are available in different versions and dimensions. Especially in the smaller and compact design, the safe transportation of hazardous substances in narrow spaces and passageways is no longer a problem. Thanks to smooth-running castors and an optional push handle, they are easy and safe to maneuver. Combined with drum trestles, they transform into a mobile filling station.
Transporting gases under pressure poses particular risks to occupational safety. Bumping, throwing and lying rolling are absolutely taboo when transporting gas cylinders. In general, gas bottles should not be carried by people or rolled upright, if possible.
Instead, use gas cylinder trucks and transport racks from DENIOS. These professional aids are particularly recommended for regularly occurring activities and have numerous safety features that effectively prevent the gas cylinders from falling over, rolling away, and bumping during transport.
The weight of a gas bottle can be more than 70kg. This poses a risk of injury that should not be underestimated - especially during manual transport. The risk of damaging the gas bottle is also greatly increased. Gas cylinder trolleys from DENIOS enable safe handling without heavy lifting.
If larger quantities of gas cylinders have to be transported over longer distances, special equipment is required. Transport by forklift, pallet truck or crane should only be carried out if the gas cylinders are on the designated transport frames and are secured accordingly. In the DENIOS range you will find both transport racks for gas bottles and craneable ready gas bottle pallets.
The safe transport of dangerous substances begins with suitable packaging. Because this must be optimally tailored to the respective material properties and quantities. No matter whether dangerous liquids or critical solids: In the DENIOS range you will find a comprehensive range of safety containers for various purposes.
In most production environments, liquid hazardous substances are used by employees on a daily basis. It is important to make their handing as safe as possible. The FALCON product range from DENIOS was developed for precisely these requirements.
The current overall program includes a wide range of solutions made of steel, stainless steel and high-resistance HDPE for storing, transporting and dosing hazardous substances. FALCON storage and transport containers are the ideal aid if you need to have small quantities quickly at hand or need to transport them.
Containers for liquid hazardous substances
If hazardous liquids are used in the company, containers are required on the one hand for the provision of small quantities at the workplace. But also the storage of several hundred liters in barrels, IBC up to large collection tanks is required. If hazardous substances, e.g. As waste products that leave company premises, specially approved products are required. You can solve all of these tasks with DENIOS products:
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