Heavy Duty Reusable FIBCs with a Safety Factor of 8:1

These FIBCs are intended for use with a variety of filling and discharge options. They are able to be repaired, either on site or by return to the manufacturer, subject to the provisos in paragraph 3 below.

Repairs must be carried out so as to ensure the FIBC retains the criteria necessary to meet the specification on the label.

FIBCs of this type are made of, for example, a multifilament polymer fabric coated on one or both sides with a plastic material such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Thermoplastic welding techniques are predominantly used in the manufacture of these bags. The supplier of the FIBC should be consulted to determine if it can be repaired, based on the materials used in construction, the extent and location of the damage, the age of the bag and the conditions under which the FIBC has been used in service.

Standard Duty Reusable FIBCs with a Safety Factor of 6:1

Note: FIBCs of this type can also meet the test requirements of Heavy Duty FIBCs, but they remain classified as Standard Duty FIBCs, because they cannot be repaired.

These FIBCs are intended for use with a limited number of filling and discharge cycles, they cannot be repaired or reused if damaged and the replacement of a removable inner liner does not restore a bag to working order.

They are usually made of either plain Polypropylene (PP) fabric, or with a light coating on one side, and sewing techniques are primarily used in their manufacture. If any damage affecting the strength of the bag is discovered, it must immediately be taken out of service.

Single Trip FIBCs with a Safety Factor of 5:1

These FIBCs are designed to be used for a single filling and discharge cycle only. An FIBC of this type cannot be reused and neither the replacement of an inner liner nor repair of the bag is relevant to this type of bag. The design, materials used and manufacturing process are essentially the same as those of Standard Duty reusable FIBCs.

Restrictions relating to the multi-trip use (reuse) of FIBCs

A Heavy Duty or Standard Duty FIBC which has been certified and labelled as Reusable, in accordance with the relevant standards, must only be reused with the same type of contents as in its first use. Reuse of bags with different contents from those of their first use breaches the standards.

How many times can a multi-trip bag be reused?

The number of times a multi-trip FIBC can be used is dependent on the conditions under which the bag has been used and no manufacturer or supplier can quantify or guarantee the number of reuse cycles. The user of the bags should examine the bag thoroughly before reusing it to check for any damage, having particular regard to stitching, gluing, welding, cuts or abrasion, loop integrity and signs of chemical attack or ultra violet degradation of the fabric.