Lifting, rolling or moving both small and large drums within the workplace whether full or empty can contribute to manual handling injuries. A range of drum handling equipment is now available to lift, move, rack, weigh and pour both small and large drums within industrial workplaces and environments whilst limiting the manual handling requirements of the user.
Customised drum handling solutions can be fabricated, however a large range of options are available commercially including:
- specialised trolleys of which minimal manual handling is required to pick up, drop off or push empty or full drums up to a 200 litre capacity with varying designs of wheels and structure are available to cater for different industry applications
- drum cradles in which 200 litre drums can be picked up, moved to location and positioned horizontally if required for dispensing of contents
- forklift platforms, cages and specialised forks to enable carrying of individual or multiple drums by forklift, with some fork options allowing tilting and pouring options from the cabin
- automatic fixed or mobile drum tippers of small and large drums for safe, controlled product emptying at varying heights which can be controlled by electronic, hydraulic or crank handle systems
- drum tippers and pourers with scales for weighing of contents and accurate tipping of desired weights
- specialised cones or pouring devices to attach onto drums of varying sizes to allow for more accurate pouring and less chance of spillage
- drum palletisers which can be manual or power operated to assist in placing or removing drums onto pallets
- automatic drum mixers for safe, no spill mixing of small paint sized tins, plastic or metal containers, through to large drums. Different models can mix contents differently such as vibrate, end over end, tilt or corner to corner mixing depending on the drum contents
- automatic drum rotators on which large drums are loaded and operated automatically to safely mix contents. These can be portable, stationary and include a hydraulic drum lift
- drum lifting attachments that can attach to the top of a drum and be lifted by a forklift or hoist
- drum dollies on which drums can be placed and wheeled around the workplace
- drum racking devices that allow drums to be carried horizontally and loaded into racks for storage.
Other lifting options are also available for lifting or moving drums, especially if mobile or not in a workshop environment:
Workplace solutions and adjustments
For people with a disability that restricts the capacity to lift and manouvre items within the workplace such as drums, drum handling equipment may be of assistance to minimise work lifting requirements. However the provision of lifting equipment should be part of an integrated organisational approach to occupational health and safety, and should be used to complement other manual handling hazard control methods.
References
Drum Handling Equipment 2011, Drum trolleys, Drum Handling Equipment (Aust) Pty Ltd, Melbourne, viewed 31 August 2011, http://drumhandlingequipment.com.au/drum_trolleys.html.
National Sales 2011, Drum Lifters, National Sales Pty Ltd, Wetherill Park, viewed 31 August 2011, http://www.drumlifter.com.au/drum-lifters-dcgr.php.
Morse 2011, Drum Handling Equipment, Morse Manufacturing Company Inc., New York, viewed 31 August 2011, http://www.morsemfgco.com/.
Safe Work Australia 2009, National Code of Practice for Manual Handling, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, viewed 31 August 2011, http://safeworkaustralia.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/D7B58BF8-1C27-430B-922E-427CE310EB53/0/manualhandling_cop2005_1990.pdf.
WorkCover New South Wales 2010, Manual Handling-Hierarchy of Controls, New South Wales Government, Sydney, viewed 31 August 2011, http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/hierarchy_of_controls_5620.pdf.