My main worry with an ibc tank (the ones like i have to store water in that you can press your finger in) is that they could rupture and throw there contents out if you had to slam on, its got nothing to do with driving ,as everybody has to be cautious with their driving ,transporting large volumes of water.
There's several problems associated with IBC's, or rather using them for how we intend to use them. But that does not mean we can't use them safely.
All IBC's are not created equal. There are some very nice alloy frames attatched to a nice alloy pallet base available, as opposed to one screwed onto some old wooden pallet. So assuming you've got a decent IBC, how to secure it ? So its safe and legal ?
Well a look at whats required by law and what DVSA (formerly VOSA) will look for might help. The load (in this case the tank or IBC) should be positioned so it is against a bulkhead, where this is not directly possible a dummy bulkead should be utilised or something to connect the load (tank) physdically to the bulkhead. So in practice that will mean bars, or a frame going across to stop the ibc from coming foreward. It should also be secured down to the load bed, so it cannot move up. A ratchet strap (or two) will legally suffice for this assuming you have got good anchorage points. If you havn't then properley securing it through a bolted bar system through the floor would suffice (aka a frame). Also the tank/load should not be able to move backwards, so more ratchets, or more incorporation of your frame.
In practice an IBC against a bulkhead and secured with ratchets or a simple bar frame system is 100% legal and importantly safe, its going no where. And before anyone tells me any old bumf about the strength of a bulkhead and so many ton of water going through it i'll just remind you that a simple bulkhead on the average artic flat trailer is responsible for restraining 20 tonnes plus. Of course if you don't put your load against the bulk head and have to brake hard and the load moves foreward it would only require a small 1 tonne load to smash your bulkhead. The loading against the bulkhead is important to stop foreward movement.
Baffling a tank is never going to remove the fact you have X amount of weight in the back, all it will do is help the vehicles handling. Of course the weight will not be being displaced this way and that way so quickly. It will remain constant, or thats the hope. And of course an IBC tank won't rupture no matter how thin you think it is.
An IBC ( a decent one) at about 60 or 70 quid and maybe £200 for a nice safe frame retention system to be fitted and you've got something far superior to one of them one size fits all pre manufactured systems for X thousand pounds. And of course if you baffle it (this topic) with some drainage tube its even better.
Next topic................Where's best to mount your RO on your van tank? Answer = In your shed !!
