Large steel or plastic drums can be difficult to move around. Ask anyone who has fell foul to mis-handling one resulting in personal injury! For example, hotels taking delivery of cooking oils, fats and grains in 45 gallon (205 litre) steel drums. Removing these from the backs of vehicles, rolling them around a courtyard and then into the kitchen area is a hazardous task and one to be executed with great care. The risk factor of accidents and spillages must be extremely high, no wonder companies look for a safer method of moving drums. 

Removing drums from any delivery vehicle that does not have a tail lift or access to a forklift truck is no easy business. Sometimes it is just not possible to get a large lift truck near enough to complete the job, so how can we do this safely? Well, small highly manoeuvrable stackers can be the answer. They can be easily fitted with a drum attachment that can lift and move a drum in a tight area safely, quickly and without the risk of damage to personnel.

Moving the drums around in small confined areas is another process that requires careful consideration. The simple and most economical way is by using a drum dolly or drum truck. These really are low cost tools, but they provide invaluable use when trying to roll or turn a drum that in theory can often weigh up to 400kg when fully laden. If you are needing to move the drums over longer distances or maybe uneven flooring then a heavier duty drum truck would be a good investment, but still at a nominal cost.

All drums now need to be stored in a safe and environmentally responsible way. They should be raised from the floor and be sited in a manner that allows for the collection of any leaking liquids or materials. For this purpose, the best way is to allow for their storage on a pallet or a drum bund that is fitted with a sump unit which can collect any spillages. Many of these units can double up as a good method for both storing and moving the drum by pallet truck or forklift.

For a nominal outlay you can ensure that your drums are handled correctly, safely and then stored in the very best way possible. Resulting in a safer working environment.

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