All industrial containers come with their own regulations and the overpack drum is no different. First, lets unpack what an overpack drum is, because it is often confused with a salvage drum. Overpack drums are protective packages manufactured to contain non-hazardous or hazardous materials or provide outer protection for another container to prevent or mitigate damage. Simplified, it is a large container in which another smaller (or multiple smaller) container(s) can be placed — a container for containers. But it is important to note that it is not certified to contain a leaking or compromised container; that is where a salvage overpack drum comes in.
Overpacks can be made out of any material — such as Skolnik’s steel overpack drums. The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates the movement of all hazardous materials and have specific performance standards that overpack containers must meet.
Skolnik builds all of our drums to exceed industry and regulatory standards, but, because they are designed to provide additional protection, it is especially important that an overpack drum be built stronger than other containers.
As such, they are held to more stringent requirements, including, but not limited to the following:
- Overpack containers must always have a UN marking on them that specifies the type of hazardous materials it is certified to contain.
- An overpack will never have a liquids rating because it is designed to hold another container — a solid. Regardless of what the inner package contains, the overpack technically contains a solid.
- The container inside an overpack must be intact — if the container is damaged, defective or leaking you must use a salvage drum.
Salvage drums, on the other hand, are certified to hold damaged, leaking or non-compliant containers and are held to even stricter regulations than overpack drums.
These are just a high level overview of the DOT’s overpack regulations. Remember that preparing hazardous materials for shipment can be complicated, and safety and compliance are key. Reserve the task of packing your hazardous materials for someone who has the appropriate DOT hazmat shipping training.Skolnik Industries TIH (PIH) Overpack Drums range from a 20 gallon overpack to an 85 gallon overpack drum and are certified according to UN criteria and qualify as secure outer packaging. If you have any questions about using an overpack or salvage drum, don’t hesitate to ask your Skolnik representative.