A bung is like a stopper that is partially inserted into a container to act as a seal.
Officials with the website did not return Journal Sentinel emails inquiring about chemical drums that contain or once contained them. A state hazardous waste specialist put an end to that after receiving a tip from someone browsing Craigslist ads.Ĭraigslist, which attracts millions of buyers and sellers to its classified-ad website nationwide, says it doesn’t allow the sale of hazardous materials. In 2012, one seller in Minnesota advertised 64 pounds of mercury, a highly toxic metal that's subject to strict regulations.
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"These items are dangerous and all belong either in the hands of a trained and licensed professional or in a hazardous waste disposal." "Products containing EPA regulated chemicals have all been found on Craigslist," he said. Some people have used Craigslist to try to offload old drums of insecticides with missing labels, said Garrett Thrasher, a nationally known pest control expert from San Diego. It’s the vapor above the liquid,” said Michael Fox, president of Chemical Accident Reconstruction Services, a Tucson, Ariz., firm that has investigated drum accidents where people have been seriously injured or killed. "If you got anything in there that’s flammable at all, what actually burns or explodes isn’t the liquid.
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Yet others had once contained flammable chemicals, old motor oil, insecticide, antifreeze and engine cleaning products.Ī near-empty drum, safety experts say, can be more dangerous than a full one. As little as two tablespoons of a flammable chemical can create enough fumes in a 55-gallon barrel to explode when ignited by a single spark. Many were billed as safe, as they previously held food products.
Repurposed drums hazardous at home, in workplaceĪ Journal Sentinel check of Craigslist ads in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and other states found hundreds of used drums for sale to the public. “You are asking, in effect, are there any laws that prohibit someone from letting his hungry pet lion loose in your house? The answer is, well, not specifically, but that sort of behavior is a really bad idea.” Yet there is little oversight of this corner of the drum business, according to Paul Rankin, president of the Reusable Industrial Packaging Association, which represents drum refurbishing companies.Īsked if there are regulations that prohibit the sale of used chemical drums to consumers, including unlabeled drums that held dangerous materials, he said: Often, the containers come with a dangerous twist: Torn-off labels make it impossible to identify the previous contents, and some had once held toxic chemicals and hazardous, flammable commercial products. Two dozen of those deaths occurred in the last five years.Įxperts say the accidents at homes are especially troublesome since many people buying used drums for personal use aren't aware of the risks. In all, the Journal Sentinel found at least 69 deaths and scores of injuries from drum fires and explosions at homes and businesses in the last 15 years. Sometimes they're even given away by businesses trying to unload their empties.Ī Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examination of accidents involving exploding drums and fires found that many occurred in backyards and garages across the country, where buyers weren't aware of the danger lurking inside.
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