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There is a wide range of different absorbent products available to use in industrial environments to cope with a liquid spill. Some of these are suitable to cope with general purpose spills, whereas some are suitable for use to soak up hazardous chemicals.

Absorbent socks

A great way to absorb progressive leaks and spills is to use absorbent socks. Absorbent socks not only soak up the spilled fluid, they also provide a barrier so the fluid cannot reach other non-contaminated areas. Absorbent socks are available in a wide range of different lengths and are suitable for general, oil and chemical spills.

Absorbent granules

Perhaps the most cost effective type of absorbent material to use on fluid spills is absorbent granules. Being in a granular form, you can decide on appropriate amount of granules to use for a particular spill so there is no wastage. Absorbent granules can be used to soak up fuel and oil spills.

Absorbent rolls

Absorbent rolls are a popular spill control solution, and can be kept in dispensers near the point of a potential spill. The tear-off strips of the roll can be used when needed and rolls are available to cope with general purpose, oil and chemical spills.

A case against a chemical company made by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has resulted in the company being fined £150,000, after they admitted releasing a huge quantity of waste solvent.

The HSE brought the case against Solvent Resource Management Ltd after health and safety regulations were breached, which resulted in the spill.

The accident happened after a steel tank collapsed onto a retaining wall due to excessive corrosion in the tank. This resulted in over 300 tonnes of solvent and waste water being released. When the accident happened a valve was also knocked off an adjoining tank which released a further 90 tonnes of contaminated solution into the surrounding area.

The HSE found that the firm had filed to manage the inspection and examination of the tanks on site and stopped the firm using the other tanks they owned until they could be tested and proved safe to use.

Trevor Jones, the HSE inspector on the case stated:

"If the company had put in place suitable and effective measures to manage the tank inspection programme, according to its contents and use, then this incident would have been prevented."

Many industrial and commercial establishments need a way to store large quantities of water to use when needed.

Enduramaxx manufacture some of the best water storage tanks available today. Their range of products are moulded in one piece, so there are no weak vertical side seams and because they are manufactured from high density polyethylene they are strong, durable and extremely tough.

Sump water tanks

Sump water tanks contain an integral sump so drainage and decontamination of the tank is made simple.

Static water tanks

Static water tanks from Enduramaxx are made from high grade polyethylene making them ideal for non portable water storage. The polyethylene they are made from makes them durable and robust with a high impact resistance, making them suitable for use in industry as well as farming and commercial establishments.

Flat bottom water tanks

Flat bottom water tanks come in huge range of sizes, right from the ability to hold around 1,250 litres of water to a staggering 20,000 litres of water.

Plastic horizontal water tanks

Plastic horizontal water tanks come with plastic moulded mounted points integrated into the base, so they are easily installed on any flat surface. They are one of Enduramaxx’s heavy duty range of tanks and are suitable for use in many different applications.

Anyone who works in industry knows that although it is should seem simple to stop leaks and drips from industrial machinery, it is commonly impossible to track and locate every drip and stop it quickly. This is why drip trays are so important to have at the ready, so if a drip from a machine is noticed, the tray can be used to collect the spilled liquid so it does not contaminate the surrounding environment.

There are a range of different drips trays available that are suitable for use in specific applications.

Polyethylene drip trays

Polyethylene drip trays come in a range of sizes and can be used with an absorbent pad to soak up the spilled fluid. The tough material they are made from means they can be used in even the harshest environment and they are resistant to most substances including hazardous liquids.

Outdoor drip trays

The problem with using conventional drip trays outdoors is that when it rains the tray quickly becomes filled by rainwater so is rendered useless. If a Plant Nappy is used instead of a conventional drip tray, the rain water is filtered through the Nappy’s sidewalls but the contaminants remain in the tray. Plant Nappys can be filled with absorbent pads so the pad can be replaced when full.

A chemical spill in Dartford led to a hazardous area response team being deployed last Friday.

Fire crews from three different stations were called to a chemical spill in Dartford last Friday the 10th of June. The spill happened at Crossways Business Park at around 7:45am when a vessel containing ammonia was spilt at the Yodel delivery depot.

The hazardous spill response team were called to the incident by the fire crews who initially attended the scene. In all 16 people were treated for injuries due to chemical vapour inhalation, with seven treated at The Darent Valley Hospital, five treated at the Princes Royal Hospital and five at the Medway Maritime Hospital.

Ammonia exposure can be particularly hazardous and can cause burns, skin irritation and even blindness, depending on the strength of the solution.

A spokesperson for the South East Coast Ambulance Service stated:

“Approximately 20 people have been checked and treated by SECAmb at the scene and a total of 16 people have been taken to hospital for further checks.”

A Yodel spokesperson commented:

“We are working closely with local fire crews to deal with an incident at our Dartford site.

“We take this matter very seriously and are doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our employees and local residents.”

When a spill occurs, it has to be dealt with in a safe and efficient manner, spills that are left untreated or spills that personnel don’t adequately deal with are potential health hazards and can result in your company being prosecuted and fined. It is for this reason that all personnel who deal with hazardous liquids on a daily basis should undergo some form of spill training so they can be prepared.

Spill training can give personnel the following benefits:

• Spill preparation - spill training gives personnel the opportunity to see for themselves the consequences of a spill and gives them food for thought what preparatory procedures need taking at their place of work in case of a spill.

• Speed of response - personnel who are have been trained in how to deal with different types of spills will always be quicker at dealing with a spill than those who have received no training. This can result in less spilled liquid and less impact on the surrounding area.

• Spill management - Knowing what to do when a spill happens is an important part of any spill training session, and if personnel are adequately trained they will be able to manage a spill event.

• Spill products - A trained member of staff will know what products to use to deal with a certain spill incident. If the correct products are used the response will be more efficient and the response will be correctly managed.

A company from Norfolk has been fined £10,000 after a vehicle liquid spill polluted a nearby lagoon. DJ Taylor who is based in Downham Market, Norfolk, admitted liability for causing the spill, which contained vegetable oil and vehicle wash detergents from its work site.

The Environment Agency brought the charge against the company to King’s Lynn Magistrates Court, where they were fined for breaching the Environmental permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.

Company staff had apparently not been trained in the correct oil disposal techniques and had just been disposing of oil contaminated water to the surface drains on the work site. The haulage company who operate 12 HGVs and have 10 trailers have now stopped washing the trucks on site.

Since the incident they have also installed two bulk storage tanks, to collect any contaminated water before it is sent away for treatment. The company were also fined in excess of £4,000 at the hearing for the costs of bringing the case against them.

Every industrial site should have a range of spill control products at their disposal should a spill occur, and perhaps the most popular of these products is the general purpose spill kit.

General purpose spill kits are perfect to keep at the ready in case of a liquid spill. While they are not able to deal with a spill of a hazardous substance such as their chemical spill kit counterparts, general purpose spill kits can still absorb non-aggressive and non- hazardous liquids effortlessly.

General purpose spill kits can contain items such as absorbent pads, absorbent socks, absorbent pillows and even PPE such as protective gloves. Most general purpose spill kits also come with a used product disposal bag so the used absorbents can be disposed of safely.

Different types of spill kits will contain different numbers of spill clean-up components, but with the vast range of kits now available you will be sure to find a kit that is suitable for your specific application. There are spill kits available for forklift trucks, spill kits for vehicles, spill kits that can be carried on the shoulder and even spill kits that can be kept in huge wheeled bins providing over 1200 litres of absorption capacity.

There are many methods used to remove oil that has been spilled at sea, but Cesar Herada’s new design may take some beating.

Cesar Herada is a researcher who, prompted by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year, has designed an oil sifting Protei drone and scoop up the spilled oil. Cesar, who was previously associated with MIT’s Senseable Lab says the drone will work semi-autonomously, protecting the welfare of the workers who would otherwise be needed.

The idea is that the drones sail through the sea scooping up the spilled oil with a powerful sucking boom. The oil and the sea water are separated and the oil is stored in the boom. It is estimated that each device will be able to hold two tons of oil per outing. The booms are detachable so a new boom can be fitted quickly to the drone device.

Mr Herada’s Protei drones can also be modified to cope with other disasters, he says. Future models may be able to collect radiation polluted water or detect radiation levels. The design is Open Source Hardware so can be built by anyone.