Salvage Drums Explained: Safety Starts with the Right Container
Posted by ENPAC LLC on Jan 6th 2025
What is a Salvage Drum?
A salvage drum is much more than your average drum or overpack. Designed specifically to prevent spills of hazardous materials during transport, a salvage drum must undergo rigorous testing to meet UN Ratings administered by the DOT. ENPAC Salvage drums are tested internally by a team of specialized engineers to simulate real-life scenarios to ensure complete compliance and protection.
Qualified to self-certify by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), ENPAC tests salvage drums to meet the following DOT standards:
- Leakproofness Test (DOT 49 CFR 178.604) - Drums filled with compressed air must pass a specified pressure test for a minimum of five minutes with no leaks.
- Stack Test (DOT 49 CFR 178.606) - The unit is required to be stacked 3 meters high with the rated load for 24 hours.
- Drop Test (DOT 49 CFR 178.603) - Drums are required to be dropped from a height determined by the packing group without sustaining cracking or damage.
- Vibration Test (DOT 49 CFR 178.608) -The packaging must withstand vibrations of a specified frequency for 60 minutes without ruptures or leaks. This test is required only for new designs or substantial modifications.
Once certified, each drum must be labeled with the term SALVAGE or SALVAGE DRUM and with the proper UN markings.
What do the UN markings mean?
UN 1H2/X295/S/24/USA/M6100
UN Ratings consist of the following:
- UN Rating Symbol - All UN ratings are required to have the "UN circle"
- Type of Container - 1 is for drums or pails
- Type of Material - H is for plastic products
- Head Type - 2 is for an open head drum
- Packing Group - X is for high, medium, or low hazard (packing groups I, II, or III)
- Maximum Gross Weight - Specifically in kilograms
- Solid Rating - S is present only for solids
- Year of Manufacture - Changes each year
- Country of Manufacture - All of ENPAC's Salvage Drums are made in the USA
- Manufacturer's Unique ID Number - ENPAC's is M6100
ENPAC Salvage drum key features:
- Engineered to be the toughest, most reliable, and functional drums in the industry
- Made from durable, UV-resistant polyethylene
- Screw-top lid for quick and easy access
- Corrosion-resistant
- Weather-resistant
- Ideal for a spill kit container
What is a Poly-Overpack®?
An overpack drum is a secondary containment used to protect a container, usually a 55-gallon steel drum, that has non-hazardous materials in it. ENPAC has sizes ranging from 20-gallons up to 600-gallons! These are best for storage of all kinds of chemicals or small transformers. It’s important to note that if the intention is to transport anything inside the overpack, then a salvage drum is required instead, as stated above.
Remember... All salvage drums are overpacks, but not all overpacks are salvage drums!
Contact ENPAC at info@enpac.com for any questions or a quote today!