Advice for lubricants storage and handling

A. Introduction:

Lubricants are delivered to end users in different types of packaging (containers, drums, barrels,

buckets, cartons) or sometimes in bulk. At each stage of the handling, warehousing and final distribution

process, a great deal can be gained by adopting the kind of good practice we recommend.

Some methods are necessary for reasons of hygiene, safety and environmental impact while others ensure

that the lubricant is not contaminated when it is about to be used.

Lubricants are manufactured and packed in clean and closed packages, labeled with the necessary

markings. In the manufacturing facilities, every precaution is taken to avoid pollution and to deliver high-quality pollution-free products.

All these precautions would be totally pointless if the end user failed to comply with certain storage and

handling precautions.

Damaged packaging can result in leaks and/or the pollution of the product.

A lack of attention paid to suitable storage can allow the ingress of pollutants like dust and water.

These pollutants then get into the lubricated equipment.

Incorrect practice during implementation of lubricants may result in the ingress of pollutants into the

equipment can eventually cause equipment breakage and accordingly, unforeseen production

outage.

Mixing some lubricants together may cause equipment breakage

Incorrect lubricant identification can result in an unsuitable lubricant being added to a machine,

causing damage to the equipment.

It is relatively easy to avoid these potential problems by applying basic rules which are usually a simple

matter of common sense.

In this document we will try briefly to go over these essential rules for the correct storage and handling of

lubricants.

B. Unloading and handling

The best way of unloading lubricants is to use a platform or a forklift truck. Oil or grease drums weigh more

than 180 kg. They are also difficult to handle because they are cylindrically shaped. If there is no forklift truck

or platform available, it is strongly advised to use wooden or metal ramps to skid the drum gently down to the

floor, as shown in the figure below.

Never drop drums from the bed of the truck onto a pile of tires or a foam mattress. A fall like this can damage

the welds or the walls or even cause the drum to burst.

Once they have been unloaded, drums may possibly be rolled on the floor with a little effort, as long as the

floor surface is not too hard. In any case, drums and more especially grease drums, must not be rolled over

excessively long distances. This would cause damage to the welds, ferrule and ends of the drums. It could

cause leaks to occur. Therefore, it is preferable to use a drum-carrier cart.

C. Storage

1. Indoor storage:

In theory, all lubricants should be stored in a room or building designed for the purpose. The place must be lighted and ventilated sufficiently, if possible with dust-free air. The location must not be exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures. If possible, the storage location must be under lock and key. It is highly advisable to have fire extinguishers in the lubricant storage area. The floor of the storage area must be sealed, that is, flat and hard-built. New drums can be stored vertically on pallets or laid down on racks that are purpose made. It is advisable to use drum handling equipment to put the drums in the racks.

It is highly advisable to have retention areas designed to prevent any possibility of pollution in case of leakage.

For information, French regulations require the setting up of retentions with the following capacities: -For containers with a capacity exceeding 250 liters (1000 L containers and bulk tanks), the volume of retention must be equal to or greater than the larger of these 2 volumes

either 100% of the tank capacity.

or 50% of the sum of all the tank capacities.

For containers having a volume per unit of less than 250 liters (drums, barrels, cans, cartridges), the retention volume must be equal to or greater than the larger of these 2 volumes:

20% of the total capacity of the containers

at least 800 liters or 100% of the total capacity if this capacity is less than 800 litres

When the lubricants are not stored on racks or shelves, apply the following rules:

For cartons: avoid stacking pallets and avoid having more than 6 carbon tiers on the same pallet.

For 20 liter cans: use pallets with laths on top of and underneath them so that the cans stand on a flat surface.

For drums: the drums are stored in 4's on a pallet. Do not stack more than 2 pallets high.

When the drums are stored lying down, we suggest placing the plugs on a horizontal line (9 o'clock and 3 o'clock) as shown in the following diagram.

The plugs must be on a horizontal line to prevent the penetration of air or condensation water into the drums.

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Finally, it is important to keep the lubricant storage room clean.

Note: grease drums must be stored standing vertically with banding allowing the total opening of the drum.

2. Outdoor storage:

Avoid outdoor storage whenever possible. However, if there is not enough room in the shelter, a number of precautions must be applied.

First of all, for obvious environmental reasons, it is absolutely essential to store the products on a sealed surface, for instance, a hard-built flat slab. This will prevent the pollution of the soil and accordingly of any groundwater, in the event of accidental spillage.

For oil drums, systematic preference should be given to the lying-down position. This can be accomplished using storage racks or on the ground as long as a number of precautions are taken.

It is also preferable to use storage racks with protection from bad weather, or outdoor storage cabinets.

Storing the drums lying down prevents the ingress of water or pollutants.

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What happens with vertical storage?

If the drums are stored vertically, rain will accumulate on top of them. Since the sun heats the product in the drum, it will expand and expel part of the airspace inside the drum. Accordingly, at night, when the temperature drops, it will reduce the volume of the product in the drum causing a strong suction effect. Accordingly, the water that has accumulated on top of the drum is drawn in, mixes with the lubricant and is decanted to the bottom of the drum.

However, if the drums have to be stored standing vertically, they must be placed on beams at different heights and the plugs turned suitably to prevent any possibility of water getting into the drums. This is more particularly the case of grease drums which must be stored vertically systematically.

3. Specific products:

If indoor storage possibilities are limited, it is essential to give indoor storage priority to the following products:

Transformer oils

Thermal fluids

Refrigerating compressor oils

Brake fluids

Soluble cutting oils

Hydraulic oils

Transformer oils must always be stored indoors because any pollution (water and/or dust) would cause a major degradation of their properties.

4. Storage management:

First of all, if the lubricants are stored outdoors, the stock must be kept to a low limit to favor rotation and therefore the exposure time of the products to bad weather and pollutants.

In addition, a FIFO (First-In / First-Out) stock management system should be preferred so that the products stored first are used first. It is also a way of avoiding the product being kept in stock too long.

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D. Distribution

After taking all this care of the product from manufacturers to storage, it would be unfortunate for it to be contaminated between storage and use in the equipment.

Always bear in mind that errors and contamination causing machine shutdown are essentially due to a lack of attention in the distribution of a lubricant.

The following words of advice and practice will enable you to limit the risks of error and/or contamination.

Some oils are incompatible with each other and accordingly, it is advisable to use a different jug for each grade of oil. The jug must be clearly labeled to identify the lubricants with which it is used for delivery.

Plastic jugs should be preferred. Metal jugs can rust. Galvanized steel jugs can result in the transfer of zinc into the oil and zinc can be poisonous with respect to some machine parts (e.g.: turbine plain bearings)

It is preferable to use jugs with a lid to prevent pollution by dust between storage and use in the equipment

When the jugs are not being used, cover them with a rag to prevent pollution by dust.

When topping up, calculate the amount of oil to be used as accurately as possible so as to avoid putting any excess oil back into new oil, or being obliged to eliminate it. Comply with the levels.

When adding large volumes, prefer the use of a drum vacuum pump or container vacuum pump and avoid cascade filling of the tank (foaming, aeration); for sensitive equipment, prefer topping up with a filtration unit and a Minimess connection. In the same way as for the jugs, it is better to use a different pump for each grade of oil. Otherwise, flush the pipes out thoroughly and replace the oil filter before topping up again.

Use a different grease gun for each type of grease. Label each grease gun with the reference of the grease being used.

The nozzles of the grease guns must be wiped off after use. Grease nipples on the machine must be wiped off before packing them with grease.