It’s getting to that time of year again where the weather is warming up, and waste that was packaged, even just a few weeks ago, could start to expand causing containers to pressurise.

Pressurised containers put our chemists at risk from being hit by lids and bungs or being showered with chemical substances as they are ejected with considerable force when opening to check and sample contents. Pressurised containers could explode in the warehouse, causing injury to staff and damage to our site from flying debris and chemicals, or could rupture during transit causing an environmental incident and risk to the public for which you, the producer, would be held liable.

Pressurisation of containers can be attributed to the following causes:

• Over filled containers (no ullage space)
• Contents expanding with heat
• Contents (especially mixtures) reacting together as they increase in temperature and/or are agitated during transport
• Natural degradation of products (e.g. hydrogen peroxide or hypochlorite)

• Check on stored drums regularly.
• Loosen the bungs and lids to allow pressure out, then re-seal.
• If checked drums appear overfull, decant some out to leave ullage space.
• Leave ullage space in liquid containers in accordance with ADR 4.1.1.4. When filling at an ambient temperature of 15℃, please observe the following table: