News

Spilled oil in the River Coran is causing concern after being noticed by the Environment Agency Wales.

A team of spill response experts have used spill control pads and booms to try to clean up the spill and stop the spill from spreading, but they are no closer to finding out the source of the spill.

The spill, near Laugharne Castle in Carmarthenshire, echoes of an incident on the same river about the same time last year. The Environment Agency have urged all homeowners in the district to check their heating oil tanks to check to see if any are leaking. The spill seems to be coming from the area around Frogmore and Gosport streets.

A spokesperson for the agency stated:

"We did not have any luck tracing the source of the oil last year and it could come from a similar source.

"We want people to check their tanks for any leaks, see if their oil levels have dropped quickly or if it seems they are using a lot more to get in touch with us.

"We can then arrange to come over and see how we can help stem the flow.

"It is not only the effect in the river that is of concern, replacing lost oil is an expensive business so keeping that loss to a minimum is important."

When a spill occurs at your industrial site, you need to have all the required spill control equipment to hand to tackle the spill and stop the spill from further affecting the surrounding environment.

To stop the spill entering the waste water system, you need to use spill containment device such as an absorbent boom or drain cover.

Absorbent booms can be placed around the spill, so that any spilled liquid will not make its way into a protected area, whereas drain covers can be used to stop the liquid entering the drainage system completely.

Plug rugs

A plug rug is a quick to use drain cover that seals the drain effectively, stopping any hazardous liquid from entering the drain. A plug rug is in fact made of mouldable clay, so it can be fitted on a wide range of different drains, including those that are damaged or misshaped. They are available in a range of sizes and are resistant to oil and most types of chemicals.

Neoprene drain covers

Neoprene covers are an effective way to stop liquids entering the drainage system. They can be used on rough or smooth surfaces and are really quick to deploy.

Liquid containment drums are used in every industrial environment. They hold a range of different types of liquids which are used in the production of products and in the maintenance of different machines.

Stopping spills from drums is a requirement for every industrial site. The correct storage of hazardous liquids is really important to stop spills and to stop the liquid contaminating the surrounding environment.

To facilitate the safe dispensing of these liquids from drums and to stop spills when filling these drums with used liquids, drum funnels are essential.

Drum funnels and drum funnel lids

Drum funnels make sure that no liquid is spilled in the surrounding area. Plastic drum funnels are available that fit over the top of the drum completely. Because the funnel top has a large surface area it makes the pouring of liquids into the drum really easy. Drum funnel lids are also available which fit over the funnel when the funnel is not in use.

Drum washtrays

A useful addition to any drum storage area is a drum washtray. The drum washtray fits on the top of the drum and can then be used for a variety of different applications including the washing of machine components.

A recent crash on the A127 in Basildon resulted in firefighters using fuel spill absorbent pads so the road could be reopened.

The crash occurred on the 7th of May, when a truck was involved in an incident which resulted in it spilling diesel across the London bound carriageway. The truck, owned by a local tree surgeon, actually ended up on its side after the incident with a Ford Fiesta.

The accident happened at the Nevendon exit and caused major delays in the area after police closed the road completely while firefighters and paramedics attended the scene.

When it was established that all the motorists involved were ok, firefighters used spill control equipment from their engine to mop up the diesel spill.

The vehicles were removed and the road was deemed to be safe and reopened after around one hour.

Firefighters now have a host of spill control and cleanup equipment at their disposal to cope with spills such as the one above and more hazardous spills including those that are chemical in nature.

Over the last few years the UK has seen a recycling revolution; waste that would in the past have simply gone to landfill is now recycled on a countrywide scale.

Businesses and homeowners in the UK are now more environmentally aware than ever and demand the latest environmental recycling solutions for their homes and offices. And to back-up this trend, manufacturers have been bringing out a host of different recycling products for them to use to collect their waste.

Recycling bins are now available in a wide range of designs and are manufactured to specifically deal with a certain recyclable component. Some examples of specific types of recycle bins available include eco-bottle recycle bins, which have a specific lid that is designed for bottles to be pushed through. Some bottle bins even have a removable flask that is built into the bin design. Users can then empty any liquid contents of their bottle into the flask before depositing the bottle into the bin.

Other types of recycle bins that are available include can recycling banks, indoor cup recycling bins, paper recycling bins and ink toner and cartridge recycling bins.

Absorbent sock are a really user friendly spill control device; not only are they easy to deploy, they are also a good way of preventing the spill further contaminating the spill area and can soak up the spilled liquid at the same time.

There are a few different types of absorbent spill socks for different types of spills. They can be categorised as follows:

Chemical absorbent socks

Chemical absorbent socks are specially designed to stop the spread of harmful chemicals. They act as an absorbing barrier and can be used as and when required to cordon off a chemical spill.

Oil absorbent socks

Oil absorbent socks are available in a range of lengths and are the perfect way to soak up oil that has leaked from a drum or other oil containment device.

General purpose absorbent socks

General purpose absorbent socks are a great spill control solution to use when the spill is a unconfirmed liquid. They work well at the base of machines which leak regularly and are a suitable solution for non-aggressive liquids.

All these socks can be bought in a variety of lengths and can be kept at the ready should a spill occur.

If a chemical liquid is spilled at your industrial site, you will need to make sure that the clean-up procedure is carried out properly and all the chemical is removed.

There is a range of chemical and acid neutralizing agents that you can keep at the ready in case of a chemical spill, some of these are described below.

Acid neutralizer

Acid neutralizing powder will effective eliminate any acid spill. The reaction caused by the neutralizing powder will also make the residue environmentally safe, so it can be disposed of easily. Some of the better acid neutralizing powders will change colour when all the acid spill has been neutralized, meaning that you can easily tell when the neutralization is complete.

Bleach neutralizer

Bleach neutralizer works in a similar way to acid neutralizer, but instead deals with spills of solutions that contain hazardous bleach products. The better bleach neutralization powders contains a colour indicator system and the residue is totally environmentally benign when neutralization is complete.

Alkali neutralizer

Alkali neutralizer is needed after a spill of an alkali substance. The powder quickly renders the alkali safe to handle so the residue can be cleaned up and the area used once again.

Every industrial site has to store some sort of liquid containers in a secure compound. Whether the liquid is a highly volatile chemical or simply lubrication oil, which is needed for the maintenance of machinery used on site, it needs to be kept somewhere safe.

Using sump pallets or spill pallets is always a good idea when storing liquid storage drums or IBCs. The spill containment device will be able to catch drips or leaks from the drums and may even contain the complete contents of a drum should a spill occur. This prevents the solution from damaging the surrounding environment and enables quick clean-up of the spill.

Spill pallets

Spill pallets are durable enough to cope with the rigours of an industrial setting and can be purchased to store a single drum or even multiple drums. Some pallets also come with integral storage covers, to protect the drums from inclement weather conditions, so the sump will not fill with rain water when the storage device is used outdoors.

Most spill pallets are made from polyethylene and have forklift pockets under the sump so they can be moved safely. When choosing, make sure you choose a pallet that conforms to the latest oil storage regulations.

Wherever there is a high concentration of chemicals, it is all the more important to have comprehensive spill control procedures in place. This includes sites that are dedicated to the transport and logistics of chemicals that could have hazardous effects should they be the subject of a leak.

Ports are particularly vulnerable to leaks, partly because of the amount of chemicals of all kinds that pass in and out of ports on a daily basis. However, they are also high risk because of their proximity to water which increases the potential ill-effects of a spill.

The Port of Tacoma in Washington State in the US was recently obliged to close an entire terminal because of a chemical spill from a container from a ship on its way to Seattle from South Korea. The chemical that was found to have leaked was identified as chlorobenzotrifluoride which is highly flammable and can cause irritation of the respiratory system, skin and eyes.

A chemical spill kit was doubtless central to the clean-up operation which saw environmental workers on the scene as soon as the leak was discovered. Chlorobenzotrifluoride is a chemical that is widely used in the printing industry.