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Condition before age alone

Service life and replacement

A date can be relevant, but it never replaces a physical inspection and the manufacturer instructions.

Reading time: 8 minutes
Practical rule: assess age, legal use, manufacturer instructions and actual condition together.

Where the five-year statement comes from

European dangerous-goods rules include a maximum period for specified plastic drums and jerricans used for dangerous-goods transport, calculated from manufacture unless a competent authority approves otherwise. That technical rule should not be presented as a universal household disposal date without explaining the transport context and any private-use exemption.

Plastic cans

Plastic can change through ultraviolet exposure, heat, chemical stress and mechanical damage. Look for whitening at stressed points, brittleness, cracks, swelling, deformation, damaged threads and seals. A can that appears sound may still need replacement where the applicable approval or manufacturer limit has expired.

Metal cans

Metal cans require attention to rust, coating damage, seams, dents, cap mechanism and gasket condition. Surface appearance alone is not enough: corrosion around seams or the base can be more important than cosmetic scratches.

Inspection before each use

  1. Read the manufacturing and approval marking.
  2. Check the body, base, seams and handle.
  3. Inspect cap, gasket, threads or locking mechanism.
  4. Confirm the intended fuel and previous contents.
  5. Check the applicable transport or workplace rule.
  6. Replace rather than improvise where suitability is uncertain.
Do not rely on one date alone: service life depends on the material, approval, manufacturer instructions, use and actual condition of the can.

Frequently asked questions

Must every plastic fuel can be discarded after five years?

No universal answer applies to every use. The frequently quoted five-year period comes from dangerous-goods rules for specified plastic packaging uses. Private exemptions and manufacturer instructions require separate assessment.

Do metal cans have a fixed expiry date?

A general fixed expiry date cannot be inferred for every metal can. Condition, corrosion, approval, manufacturer instructions and the intended legal context remain decisive.

What damage means a can should not be used?

Leakage, cracks, severe deformation, brittle plastic, significant corrosion, damaged seams, cap or seal defects and unreadable essential marking all require the can to be removed from service until properly assessed or replaced.

Sources for this guide

The following authorities and documents were used for this guide. Where rules change, the current original source takes precedence.

  1. How long may spare cans be used and what quantities may be carried? [German]KomNet NRW / Landesamt für Gesundheit und Arbeitsschutz Nordrhein-WestfalenGerman private transport context, load restraint and the five-year period for specified plastic packaging uses
  2. Do steel jerricans have an expiry date? [German]KomNet NRW / Landesamt für Gesundheit und Arbeitsschutz Nordrhein-WestfalenGerman official guidance on marking and service life of steel jerricans
  3. Questions and answers on dangerous-goods packaging and UN marks [German]Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM)Meaning, limits and interpretation of UN packaging marks