Many companies ignore the potential
hazard posed by seemingly empty barrels.
And sometimes it blows up in their
face. Literally.
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. The business
had been frequently cutting barrels to reduce the storage space needed while they
waited for a monthly collection.
Insurance covered the cost of the wrecked facility
but not their crushing legal and lawsuit costs for:
-
Improper hazardous material storage.
-
Exposing workers to serious health risks.
-
Injured workers.
-
Loss of revenue suits from neighbouring business.
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