In both of the recent incidents, the drums had previously contained flammable substances but had been empty for a long period of time.

In January 2025, a worker in Murray Bridge was cutting into a 166-litre storage drum with an angle grinder to repurpose it.

The drum – although empty – had previously contained oil.

Sparks from the angle grinder and residual vapours caused an explosive fire, resulting in serious burns and lacerations to the man’s hand, arm and torso, requiring treatment at a nearby medical clinic.

In March 2025, a worker in Tailem Bend was cutting into a storage drum with an angle grinder to repurpose it.

The drum had previously contained a carcinogenic and flammable liquid and was clearly labelled with a red flammable liquid diamond warning.

Sparks from the angle grinder caused an explosive fire, resulting in serious burns to the man’s torso.

He was taken to Adelaide for medical treatment.

SafeWork SA is urging employers and workers to stop, think and assess the risk before modifying a storage drum that has been used.

Even drums that have been empty for a long period of time are likely to contain residual substances or vapours and should not be exposed to heat.

The heat and sparks from tools can cause a fire, explosion or release of hazardous vapours. Rinsing drums with water or other cleaning substances does not eliminate the risk.

Safety checklist

Before reusing a drum, check what the drum was previously used for:

• Did it ever contain a flammable or combustible liquid, or gas?
• Did it ever contain a hazardous chemical?
• Does the drum have a hazardous chemical label on it?
• Is there a hazard diamond on the drum?
• Is there a single word such as “danger” or “warning” on the drum?
• If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’ or ‘I don’t know’, do not apply heat to the drum.

Keep the drum away from oxyacetylene torches, naked flames or sparks from grinding and welding equipment.

Assess the storage drum before starting work

Before making that first cut, check:

• the Safety Data Sheet and the manufacturer’s instructions and precautions before performing any work on the container
• the container has been properly cleaned and certified vapour-free by a competent person
• that there are safe work processes in place to manage the hazard and ensure all workers understand and are properly trained on these processes
• controls are in place to extinguish any flames that may eventuate.

Working with or near storage drums

• Never conduct hazardous work without proper training and supervision
• Never assume every worker is fully aware of the risks involved in the task
• Never weld, grind or do any other hot work activity near empty drums
• Do not use drums as a welding or work platform
• Store empty drums with bungs removed in a well-ventilated place away from other work areas. Removing the bung will not guarantee all hazardous residues and vapours have been naturally vented.
• Do not cut or apply heat to these drums.

Further links:

• Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace