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Badal advises dedicating the containers, as well as hoses and/or piping. "If you can't do that, then the next step is to do a complete flush of that container or equipment, transfer pump or transfer line," he states. "We would typically recommend the customer spend the extra money and dedicate."

Sutherland also promotes proper labeling and/or disposal of empty hydraulic drums. "If you're using a hydraulic drum for your waste oil, and you have not identified that as a waste oil drum, somebody may think it's the right stuff and dump it [into the machine]," he cites. "That can be a mixture of everything you have on the jobsite."

In addition, take care when introducing new fluids into a storage tank or hydraulic system. Not all hydraulic fluids meet the same specifications or have the same chemical properties.

"If you have a machine that is using a zinc-free product, and you decide to top off the reservoir with a zinc-based product, you have created a new lubricant," says Navarro. "The new product is untested, with totally different signatures, different viscosities, different corrosion and anti-wear properties."

This can eventually cause negative reactions in equipment. "Machines are very sensitive to the changes," says Navarro, "and they let us know through oil analysis readings."