(by guest author, Richard Chesworth)
Some call it packaging regulations, other call it ‘red tape’. Whatever it is known as, we are constantly ‘suffocated’ by rules and regulations as to which packaging may or may not be used for what. Globally, the system has grown and matured to remove any doubt and to lessen the possibility of incorrect packaging and subsequent failure and its potential ensuing problems.
Daily, we are asked to clarify what packaging can or can’t be used for certain transportation/storage situations. Certain countries are indeed using these very regulations to bolster their own packaging industries from dodgy imports by rigorous enforcement, spot checks and hefty fines. All this is welcomed overall as it can only lead to a more transparent and stable packaging industry globally. However, if you scratch the surface and look a little deeper, things are not quite as they would seem. In the UK, responses we are beginning to hear more often regarding such regulations are “why waste the expense, nothing will happen if we are caught using the wrong drums” or “we can use cheaper non approved packaging and if we get caught, they never do anything anyway”. Whilst the current need to cut costs to the minimum and avoid waste can be understood, the regulations are there first and foremost for our own safety and this should not be forgotten. It is hard to tell this to someone who is constantly being forced to ‘find a cheaper solution’ when the authority seems unwilling to show its teeth. Until we see the powers that be actually come down on companies for illegal or negligent packaging in the UK, we will see this erosion of the genuine article continue until there is a major incident when we will all look back and ask why nothing was done sooner. All we ask is that, like other countries, the UK actively enforce the regulations and actually do something to offenders that might make the rest of the industry sit up and take notice before it is too late! It is worth noting and stressing to all end users that if incorrect packaging is found during transport, fines can be levied from a minimum of 250 Euro up to 10,000 Euro per item! On top of that, each mistake in a load is counted as an individual fine, for example not using correct labels, not using the correct packaging type. If the correct packaging has not been delivered by manufacturers or reconditioners, the transport provider or the filler can claim the costs incurred from these companies. All these infringements can add up to monstrous fines very quickly. Is it really worth taking the risk?
(Richard Chesworth of Hanley Chesworth Ltd. — is a long-time UK distributor of Skolnik products including Salvage Drums)