Question

Containers and drums without labeling should be considered?

A) Safe. No special handling is required
B) Safe, but handle as if hazardous material was present
C) Hazardous Material
D) As hazardous material and be buried or burned

Answer 1

Unlabeled containers should be treated as hazardous material and handled with extreme caution to prevent harm to health and the environment.

Step-by-step explanation:

Containers and drums without labeling should be considered as Hazardous Material. When an item is not labeled, it is impossible to ascertain its contents without proper testing. According to the guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hazardous waste can pose a substantial threat to health and the environment, and includes listed wastes from manufacturing processes and characteristic wastes that show properties like ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. Improper handling, such as burying or burning unidentified material, can lead to severe consequences. Therefore, when encountering an unlabeled container, it should be handled with caution, as if it contained hazardous material, until it is adequately identified and managed according to hazardous waste management protocols.