Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) have become very popular in various industries. They have also become a major pain in the _ss for many safety and process safety professionals as they have become a “catch-all” type of container. This week, we encountered an IBC permanently implemented as a “process vessel” within a PSM/RMP-covered process. And as you can imagine, it was not in the PSI, SOPs, or MI program. So I thought it might be fitting to mention how these containers must be managed and to say it very clearly… IBCs are NOT intended to be used as a process vessel!
DOT requires that each IBC used to transport liquid hazardous materials (or discharge solids under pressure) be tested and inspected every 2.5
years starting from the date of manufacture or the date of a repair. The requirements are: