When moving heavy 55 gallon drums around in a busy industrial environment, safety should be your primary concern. Plans need to be in place to set out the right way of doing things, and the most up to date safety equipment should be available to staff in order to minimize the risk of damage and spillage. Using proper fork lift mounted drum handlers; you will find it much easier to carry full 55 gallon drums from one place to another without the various risks that are normally present in such operations.



One of the biggest problems facing the manufacturing industry is that there is increasing competition from around the world that means costs must be cut wherever possible, and one area that is prime for attention in most businesses is wastage. Accidental spillages can have enormous costs to both productivity and levels of resource being used in the workplace, and even a small spill can have a serious impact on profit, especially if it leads to an injury or temporary shut down. By utilizing proper drum handlers, rather than moving drums manually or with make shift equipment, the cost of wastage can be significantly reduced in the long term.

A fork lift mounted drum handler has been specifically designed to make moving a single drum from one place to another as safe and straightforward as possible. With the smooth lifting action of the forklift, coupled with the secure grip on the drum offered by the state of the art equipment, there is very little risk of a spill, or a failure of the device. This means that the load will get to its destination almost every time.

Both top and bottom grip devices are available, and both serve exactly the same purpose, although thanks to the additional capacity of the top grip drum handler, this is generally a more popular option. The reason why this is the case, that the drum handler which grips the drum at the top can carry more weight is that the weight is more evenly supported and much more stable in place as it is moved around the workplace.

When your staff first start to use drum handlers in order to move laden drums around the workplace, it is important that they are fully trained to do so, and that other staff are well aware of where the vehicle will be operating. There can be a visibility issue for the driver of the forklift when carrying a bulky item, so ensure that all staff are aware of standard safety procedures, and avoid walking through areas where the forklift truck and drum handling equipment will be used.

Overall, provided that the equipment is looked after properly with regular service checks, and kept in top condition through routine maintenance, you will find that thanks to the reduced levels of wastage that it offers, it will actually lead to significant cost savings in a fairly short term, and prove to be a real investment in the future competitiveness of your business in an increasingly tough international environment.