Labelling Hazardous Material Containers
I saw a cluster of intermediate bulk containers (IBC-reusable industrial containers designed for the transport and storage of bulk liquid such as chemicals) containing waste oil with their original manufacturer’s label (Hydrochloric acid).Looking at the colour of the content, I asked what was in the container and predictably they were waste oil.
When you transfer a chemical or hazardous material from its original container to another container, the container you transfer it into is called a secondary container and site procedure requires that the secondary container is labeled.
This label must contain two key pieces of information: the identity of the hazardous chemical or hazardous material in the container (e.g., chemical name) and the hazards present. If a chemical container’s original label must be replaced as a result of fading etc., the new label must contain the same information as the original.
It is very important that we do that in order not to inadvertently mistake one chemical for the other.