Even Empty Barrels Need Tender, Loving Storage.

Even Empty Barrels Need Tender, Loving Storage.
Supposedly empty barrels and used batteries pose a potentially huge risk – and cost – to companies as they await collection for disposal or re-conditioning.
-By Isaac Rudik

We’ve all seen them as we drive along the expressway or down an industrial street. At the rear of a parking lot next to a factory or warehouse sit a forlorn group of empty barrels, sometimes stacked to the sky, awaiting pickup for disposal or re-conditioning. Yet those empty barrels aren’t truly empty for they all contain the residue of the liquid or vapour product they once contained.

In fact, supposedly empty barrels are anything but and pose a potentially huge risk – and cost – to companies as they sit, alone and forgotten, awaiting collection. The reality is that even “empty” barrels need tender, loving storage. At the same time, useless old batteries waiting for pick-up pose a hazard to a business, the surrounding community and the environment.

Some 90% of the residue in both empty barrels and used batteries are toxic and pose a serious hazard. Improper storage – even the weather – can result in leaks of the residue material into the ground. If it happens, the resulting expense to the facility in cleanup and fines can run into six figures.

Ignoring Hazards

Too many companies ignore the potential hazard posed by seemingly empty barrels.

For example, two years ago a manufacturer east of Toronto was engulfed in flames that sent three employees to hospital and took fire fighters more than six hours to extinguish. The blaze started when a worker was using a welding torch to cut supposedly empty barrels in half to prepare them for pickup. For nearly a decade, the business had been cutting barrels to reduce the storage space needed while they waited for a monthly collection without a problem.

But then luck ran out.

The welding torch’s intense heat coupled with a week of hot weather set off a spark, igniting built-up fumes inside a barrel which had been sitting outside, unprotected from the unrelenting, scorching sun beating down. The blaze ignited other barrels and before the fire department arrived on the scene, the factory itself caught fire. The place was totalled.

While insurance covered much of the cost of cleaning up the remains and re-building the facility, the process took seven months which meant being out of business for more than a half-year. What wasn’t covered, though, were the hefty fines levied by the province for improperly storing hazardous material and exposing workers to a serious health risk. Legal fees for negotiating with the government, settling suits brought by injured workers, and paying nearby businesses for lost revenue that were forced to shutter their doors for a few days during and after the fire added to the total cost of improper storage.

Yet even without a fire, used barrels and old batteries can cause problems for a business. They can easily leak, causing residue material to seep into the ground which will lead to costly soil remediation projects with the possibility to sample and test nearby potable water sources for contamination and clean up.

Proper Storage and Disposal

As the fire-ravaged factory learned, there is no such thing as an “empty” container. Drums should be completely drained, properly bunged and promptly returned to a drum re-conditioner or properly disposed of quickly. Moreover, they should not be kept under pressure, cut, welded, brazed, soldered, drilled, ground or exposed to heat, sparks, static electricity and other potential ignition triggers.

Here’s the good news.

There is a smart and cost-effective way to protect against potential problems caused by storing empty barrels and old batteries improperly: Modular spill containment platforms are one type of solution which captures leakage risk and avoids unforeseen events or accidents causing a problem. Better still, these solutions cost a fraction of the cost of fines, which can hit upwards of $250,000.00, and possible worker comp claims and lawsuits – and that’s before adding in clean-up costs which will be even greater.

When you leave work today, look out back at the barrels and batteries many industrial businesses find piling up awaiting collection. Remember that those empty barrels need tender, loving storage.

Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.

E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.

Don’t Let A Fork Lift Truck Skewer Your Company.

Don’t Let A Fork Lift Truck Skewer Your Company.
Like so many things, pedestrian and lift truck lane markings become part of the background scenery in most plants: They’re visible but no one really notices them any more. Now, there’s a better way to avoid costly accidents.
– By Isaac Rudik

It doesn’t take much of an accident for a fork lift truck to cause serious injury.

Not long ago, an Ontario woman was severely injured at work when the company’s fork lift swung around suddenly and hit her in the middle of her chest. She was spun around by the impact of the truck and sent flying several feet across the plant. The woman was rushed to hospital for emergency, life saving, surgery. Fortunately, she recovered fully from the accident and was able to return to work within six months.

Also fortunate is that the fork lift was carrying only an empty plastic container. Had the load been any larger or heavier, doctors say that most likely the woman would have been killed instantly.
The accident happened even though the area where she was working had been marked with designated forklift and pedestrian lanes. But like so many things in life, the markings became part of the background scenery in the plant: Yes, they were there but no one really noticed them any more.

Visible – But Invisible

The accident was costly to the company. Not only was the injured employee on Worker Compensation for a half-year, the poor operator was so distraught by causing the accident he was unable to work for two months. But the combined eight months of Worker Comp claims was only a small part of the financial cost to the company. A steep fine was levied by the province and a court awarded hefty damages to both the woman and the fork lift driver.

The accident highlights a major shortcoming of using hanging signs and floor lane markings to create safety zones: They rely almost entirely on a fork lift driver being able to see not only the signage but whether someone has wandered in front of the vehicle. Too often, accidents happen because a large load is being moved and the driver’s view is at least partially blocked. Thus, it’s frequently impossible for the operator to know whether a worker has wandered out of the pedestrian lane – or whether the truck has strayed into the lane.

In effect, the very tools used to ensure safety become their own hazard. Even though they’re visible, they can become invisible for a split second, more than enough time for a serious accident to occur.

Moreover, the layout of far too many factories does not take driver visibility into account. Blind corners, a flash of blinding sunlight from a window, a burned out lighting fixture all can make it difficult, if not impossible, for the operator to spot pedestrians crossing the plant floor. Even worse, the recession means most businesses are pushing all-out for productivity, efficiency and speed but these very factors can result in carelessness and not paying attention.

Government regulations mandate that companies take adequate precautions to ensure worker safety. When first introduced decades ago, rules requiring lane markings on a plant floor and posting signs were more than adequate: They were a significant improvement over the era of having no markings and they were the best warning available.

Intelligent Signage

But, thanks to inexpensive new technology, there is a better way to protect workers and help ensure that a fork lift truck out in the plant doesn’t end up skewering an employee or the company.

Now there are traffic signs which sense approaching vehicles and whether people are walking into the path of the fork lift. Once a person is detected, an audio as well as a visual alert is sent out so both know the other is approaching well before they are seen. This greatly increases the ability to avoid an accident. Moreover, unlike signs, the 95db audible alert coupled with a flashing light will never become “just part of the scenery” on a factory floor.

Low cost technology removes the excuse companies have used for some time to prevent accidents. And prevention is always the least costly way of avoiding a lot of needless expense and hassle. Implementing the new generation of warnings now will help ensure that no uncontrollable incident will happen.




Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.

E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.

A New Meaning To “Silent But Deadly”

A New Meaning To “Silent But Deadly”
Working in confined spaces increases the danger to workers of breathing contaminated air. But there’s no longer an excuse not to see a hidden, silent danger.
– by Isaac Rudik

Recently, Javier del Rio was cleaning an empty tank used to store flaxseed oil. When he lost consciousness, a co-worker jumped in to save him. He also lost consciousness and both men were asphyxiated.

According to investigators, argon gas was pumped into the tank to drive out oxygen when it was filled with oil. Once the tank was empty for cleaning, oxygen was pumped back into it and vents were opened to remove the argon. But some of the argon gas – which is heavier than oxygen – lurked at the bottom of the tank, displacing fresh air del Rio and his colleague needed to breathe.

Government regulations mandate that employees be protected properly against numerous hazards, including breathing noxious gas. And monitoring the workplace for air quality has never been easier. New and emerging technology makes doing so not only more effective but far less costly than even a few years ago, removing an excuse companies hid behind for decades when caught.

With courts imposing hefty fines on companies, and awarding record sums to employees injured after breathing contaminated air, there is new meaning to the old warning “silent but deadly” when referring to bad air.

Don’t Assume

Most people put their faith in knowing they will breathe good air, whether indoors or in a confined space such as the workplace. Not unreasonably, they assume someone is checking for the safety of the air they are breathing.

When someone doesn’t do their job, or there is an undetected leak, the results are disastrous.

Air – whether life sustaining or deadly – is usually colourless, odourless and tasteless. As a result, many gases are infused with an additive to create an aroma. That’s why when someone calls 911 to report smelling gas in their home, what they smell isn’t the gas but the additive designed to alert to a leak or contamination.

The atmosphere in a confined work space may seem like any other. But because many industrial gases have no odour additive, companies can never assume that all is safe.

Confined spaces on a shop floor have fooled scores of injured or killed workers every year after they assumed somebody checked for air quality. But the worst thing for a worker to do is to or “follow their nose,” guessing that since the air smelled alright it was safe to enter. But air may look and smell safe but be filled with enough toxic contaminants to kill anyone breathing it in, especially in an enclosed area.

Smart Prevention

As with every other workplace safety issue, prevention is easier – and far less costly – than fixing a problem.

The best approach is to issue workers who might be at risk with personal multi-gas monitors which monitor air quality continuously as an employee goes about their job, whether at their work station or if moving around the plant. A second option is a “confined space monitor” designed to be used only in small, high risk areas of the factory.

Typically, these devices offer multiple warnings to the worker wearing one: A loud sound warning such as a 95db beeping or horn, a warning light and a vibrating pulse in case the wearer misses either of the other two alerts. At least one of the three should grab a worker’s attention, following the old saw about “if at first you don’t get noticed, keep trying ‘til you do.”

It’s always best to find smart ways to prevent fumes from causing an injury. But, in many cases, fumes are part of the process. Ensuring that workers are alerted now to noxious air before they’re injured helps make certain that your plant won’t be victimised by an incident that could have been prevented.




Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.

E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.

Sound The Alarm – But Not Too Loudly. Excessive noise contributes to workplace hearing loss and other health issues.

Noise is aggravating, whether at home, in a restaurant or on a loud street. But in the workplace, excessive noise is more than aggravating: It cuts productivity while creating serious health hazards for workers which might lead to costly fines and worker’s compensation claims.

Besides making it hard for workers to hear each other, excess workplace noise increases blood pressure, speeds breathing rates, disturbs digestion and, in people prone to heart disease, affects heart rates. And noise effects don’t stop: Studies show that exposure to ongoing noise makes sleep difficult.


For pregnant workers, excessive noise also can affect a developing fetus.

Little wonder noise is a serious problem that must be addressed seriously by business.

Noise Is Costly

Companies must protect workers from noise. Government inspectors apply four common-sense tests when checking noise levels before using meters to measure precise levels. But these same checks can be performed by supervisors long before the Ministry of Labour (MoL) arrives.

• In a noisy area, do people raise their voice to be heard?
• Do workers have difficulty hearing someone speaking from two feet away?
• After leaving a noisy area, does speech sound muffled or dull?
• Is there a pain or ringing of the ears after noise exposure?

Companies that aren’t proactive can face major problems if MoL finds excessive noise:

• Employers must conduct a costly audit.
• The company can be fined up to $75,000.
• Fixing the problem means retaining costly noise abatement consultants.
• The problem must be fixed quickly.
• If there are noise-related injuries, the company must pay for treatment.
• Worker Compensation premiums rise by about 0.5%.

For years, workplace noise was overlooked because of numerous problems. But today, new technology makes monitoring easier and in-house testing is relatively inexpensive. Moreover, installing sound absorbing material is much easier than in the past.

As a result, excuses companies hid behind for years are gone. So courts are awarding large sums to employees and levying hefty fines on companies violating noise rules.

Quiet Down

Utilizing sound absorbing material as a barrier between machinery and employees helps reduce levels to allowable levels. Even better, sound absorbing material placed on walls and ceilings helps reduce the chance of reflected noise injuring employees.

For example, grinding produces a shrieking sound, disturbing everyone nearby. One CSC customer’s grinding unit never caused a problem when it was in a separate building, away from other workers. But when a new, more efficient plant was built, the grinding room was in the main factory along with all manufacturing. Other work areas were noise-protected by installing shields on both sides of the operation and suspending sound absorbing baffles above the area.
Melamine Acoustic Foam on walls and ceilings offers good sound absorption in this kind of situation. It also enjoys Class 0 fire specification, meaning when exposed to naked flames it does not release toxic bi-products associated with other conventional polyurethane based acoustic foams.

Safe Solutions

A misconception many companies have about noise is “We’ve never had a problem.” But this head-in-the-sand approach is foolish; even the savviest Vegas gambler knows luck runs out eventually.

Reducing noise involves four, interrelated pieces:

• Barriers or screens offer a simple, effective way to reduce noise, placing it as close to the source as possible.
• The higher and wider the barrier, the greater the reduction.
• Barriers and screens work well against direct noise and poorly against reflective noise, not offering full protection against low frequency noise.
• Barriers should be made of dense, sound absorbing material and face the noise.

In dealing with noise abatement, too often companies commit one of two serious mistakes. Either they invest in compliance but don’t become compliant because they do the wrong thing, or the solution is insufficient. The other major error is failing to invest in a solution because, too often, a business doesn’t have a budget line item or they don’t believe it’s a major issue.

When dealing with these concerns, look for product suppliers such as CSC that provide in-house expertise and work with third party consultants to create a cost-effective and compliant solution. Find a supplier who works extensively with both industry and government, enhancing the ability to create a fix that meets budget restraints yet also meets government rules
As the economy grows tougher, companies must save money. Often safety is compromised by small budgets and this can be a company’s single most dangerous, costly mistake. While eliminating noise entirely is impossible, it can be brought within manageable – and legal – levels with limited budgets.

Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. (http://www.compliancesolutionscanada.com/).

He may be reached by e-mail at irudik@csc-inc.ca or
by calling 905-761-5354