Overpack and Salvage Drums

What is a Salvage Drum?
Salvage Drums are designed to contain packages of hazardous materials that are damaged, defective, or found leaking. The drums are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) under 49 CFR 173.3 (c). If a company or shipper has a leaking package of hazardous material, sorbents or rags used on a spill or leak, and they wish to ship them across public roads, they must use a Salvage Drum under the restrictions of 173.3 (c). The Salvage Drum is larger than the leaking package allowing the leaking package to be placed inside the Salvage Drum for safe shipment to a disposal or treatment facility. The Salvage Drum must be compatible with the lading in the leaking package. Shipments that do not follow the DOT Hazardous Materials regulations are shipping illegally and could face fines, typically $250.00 - $25,000.00 per violation, levied by the DOT.

Salvage Drums can be made of steel, polyethylene, aluminum or metal and must pass, at a minimum, standard UN performance requirements for drums shipping solids as well as a 3 psi air leak proof test. If a drum meets the requirements as stipulated by DOT under 49 CFR 173.3 (c), then it is to be marked with the appropriate UN markings, proper shipping name of the material, name and address of the consignee, and the words "Salvage Drum." It is illegal to omit these markings from Salvage Drums prepared in accordance with 173.3 (c).

What is an Overpack?
An Overpack is an enclosure used by a single consignee to provide protection or convenience in handling a package, or consolidate two or more packages.

An Overpack is used to contain a smaller non-leaking package. The integrity of the inner package has not been breached and the performance of the entire package still meets DOT requirements. The DOT does not view an Overpack as a Salvage Drum.

Why is there confusion between Overpacks and Salvage Drums?
Traditionally, many manufacturers have referred to Salvage Drums as "Overpacks." So the industry has become more familiar with the term Overpack than Salvage Drum and believes that all Overpacks must be Salvage Drums. This is an incorrect assumption. Recently some manufacturers have been offering drums that look like Salvage Drums but refer to them as "Overpacks." Unless your employees or buyers are very sophisticated on the differences between Overpacks and Salvage Drums under DOT regulations, they may unwittingly purchase these Overpacks believing they are buying drums they can use for Salvage Drum applications. If Overpacks that look like Salvage Drums cost less than Salvage Drums that could be the first tip that the Overpack may not meet the performance standard of a Salvage Drum.

Source: The Truth About Salvage Drums by Mark Shaw
From the Winter 1998 issue of Environmental Solutions Product News