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Chemical spills can have negative consequences on a quite a large scale and every measure should be taken to prevent them from occurring. Of course, accidents and emergencies do happen, so it is just as important to have procedures in place to deal with hazardous leaks.

For an idea of the negative effect even small spills can have, you need only look into recent news stories. For example, a recent spill in Alaska saw some 2,000 gallons of gasoline leak from a tank farm. The local village of Aniak at the site of the spill was forced to close its school and other buildings, including the post office, whilst three homes also had to be evacuated.

Experts arrived at the scene in order to facilitate spill control measures and to employ the use of a spill kit in order to address the leak. The concerns in this case were not just environmental, but also social, as the village had to deal with the temporary loss of certain vital amenities.

Earlier this year, Aniak fell victim to a separate leak from another tank farm that saw around 7,000 gallons of aircraft fuel require spill control.

Oil spills are a matter of serious concern for environmentalists and the firms whose operations depend on the infrastructure of their pipelines. With this in mind, it is absolutely vital for firms to invest in the upkeep of their pipelines.

However, prevention is always better than cure when dealing with oils and chemicals. This is why all companies dealing with these substances need to have effective procedures in place to deal with emergency situations like spills.

One of the most recent emergency situations to highlight the importance of oil spill kits and emergency practices occurred in North-western Alberta where Canadian landowners discovered an oil leak on Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline which is responsible for delivering oil from Alberta to British Columbia and Washington in the US.

Kinder Morgan was forced to shut down its 300,000 barrel a day pipeline so that the damage caused by the leak could be addressed. In this particular case, the damage to the pipeline constituted little more than a pinhole, but oil had been detected on the surface and in a creek in the area.

An oil spill kit is likely to play a key role in the recovery of the area after the leak.

Water company United Utilities have been left with a hefty bill after thousands of gallons of the chemical xylene made its way into Greater Manchester’s waste water system.

The chemical, which was spilled when thieves tried to steal a HGV tanker cab, is highly toxic and flammable. The water company are considering prosecuting after it turned into a gelatinous substance upon entering the city’s sewer network. The incident happened at the end of February but United Utilities are still trying to turn the substance back into a solution that can be removed using pumps.

Xylene is a solvent that is used in rubber and printing industries. The vapour from the leaked substance is continuing to be extracted using a special extraction device.

United Utilities wastewater manager, Ian Fullalove, stated:

"The cost of this clean-up and the expertise and effort involved are probably unimaginable to the culprits who dumped the material when the tanker was stolen.

"Our legal team are working hard behind the scenes and we will bring a prosecution if possible."

The thieves actually opened a valve on a tanker to let the contents out. Xylene can cause a multitude of health related problems including headaches and confusion.

Spill control on an industrial site is really important. Every factory or industrial premises needs to make sure that they have appropriate spill control procedures in place, should a spill occur from one of their liquid stores or from a machine which uses lubrication fluid such as oil.

If you use an industrial machine, such as a generator, you will need to make sure that spills from this type of machine do not affect the surrounding environment. Generators drip fuel and oil on a frequent basis, so a spill containment device has to be used to collect these spills.

If you use a Plant Nappy underneath a generator, all these drips and spills can be contained. The plant nappy will actually separate out the fuel spill from water, meaning they are an excellent device to use outside where the inclement weather may fill a different type of non-selective drip tray.

In addition to their excellent oil and fuel spill collection capacity and their ability to let rain water pass through their side walls, you can use a Plant Nappy liner in the Plant Nappy, which can be replaced when it becomes contaminated.

An oil well capping device, which would be used to cap a leaking well in an emergency, will be manufactured after a collaboration between the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory group (OSPRAG), BP and JP Kenny.

The spill response cap, which will be completed by the summer, will be a key component of the UK’s offshore oil and gas contingency plans.

The cap has been designed so it can be used in a wide range of spill scenarios and is easily deployable from a service vessel.

The chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, Malcolm Webb, stated:

"Having such a contingency device in the UK is important as it allows a quick response in the unlikely event of a well blowout.

"Our overriding priority remains, however, to prevent such incidents from occurring in the first place.

"There has not been a single blow-out in this country in over 20 years of UK offshore operations and we must ensure that it remains this way. The UK’s regulatory regime, and the safety culture it promotes within our industry, is regarded as world class."

There is a range of different types of absorbent materials and products available to keep at the ready at your industrial site, enabling the quick and efficient clean up of a spilled solution. Some of these include:

Absorbent pads

Absorbent pads are a quick and effective way to clean up a spill, they are available in general purpose, oil and chemical types and their ease of use makes them extremely popular among users.

Absorbent socks

Absorbent socks are a good spill control and clean up solution when you need to stop the spill area spreading. Their shape and design means that they can be deployed quickly and easily and they too are available in types that can contain general spills, oil spills or chemical sills. Absorbent socks are also available in different lengths for user specific applications.

Absorbent granules

Absorbent granules are a cost-effective type of absorbent material, as only the needed amount of absorbent has to be used to clean up a spill. Clay absorbent granules work effectively outside, as their mass stops them from being dispersed by the wind.

Absorbent rolls

Absorbent rolls can be kept in a roll holder near sites that are likely to see a spill. This makes them an excellent choice when spill response has to be quick. Some rolls are perforated, so the sheets can be torn off as and when needed.

If you store large volumes of liquids at your industrial site, you will need some form of storage solution that will keep your liquid containers safe and will collect the liquid if a spill should occur.

IBC or Intermediate Bulk Containers are the perfect way to store volumes of liquid at an industrial site. They are manufactured from high density polyethylene and because of their design and stacking potential, can be moved quite easily around the factory. Most IBCs come fitted with a steel mesh cage which protects them from bumps and knock, but accidents can happen.

IBC spill control

If you have IBCs at your industrial site, you need to make sure that they are sited on a sump pallet so if a spill occurs it does not affect the local environment. IBC spill pallets, or sump pallets, have a volume capacity which is 10% more than the volume capacity of the IBC, meaning that if a spill occurs from the IBC, the entire contents will be able to be contained.

IBC sump pallets should always meet the Oil Storage Regulations 2001.

Many industrial facilities have procedures in place to cope with a hazardous liquid spill. Staff may have been trained to cope with a spill and a spill kit may be available to deal with a spill should one occur. However, what happens if the spill occurs and the spill kit is located at the other side of the factory?

One of the most important considerations in a spill response plan is the time it takes to gain control of a spillage. If your spill kit is located at a different part of the plant, there is no question that the spill response time will be delayed and the effects of a spill will be much worse.

Many factories around the UK are dealing with this problem by having application specific spill kits located at designated points around the facility, so employees can access a spill kit as soon as possible when required. Some spill kits, such as those that are capable of cleaning up fuel spills, are even located on the equipment where the spill is likely to occur, reducing the spill response time to only seconds upon being noticed.

Like any response to an unplanned incident, the preparation you put in will play a vital role to the response time to the incident. But, if you have the right spill kits located in the right areas of your plant, you will reduce response time and lessen the impact of any spill that may occur.

With the Motor Sport Association (MSA) stating that spill kits must be held by both competitors and race organisers themselves, it’s never been so important to make sure you have an MSA approved spill kit at the ready in case of a vehicle liquid spill when you attend a track day.

The new MSA regulations came into force on the 1st of January and state that all competitors should hold a spill kit with at least the capacity to deal with an automotive fluid leak of 1.25 litres.

In rallying, the 2011 MSA ‘blue book’ also states that the emergency and medical services should have an approved MSA spill kit in the disciplines for rescue, safety stage unit and rally recovery, with the responsibility for compliance left with the event organiser.

Rally spill kits

Rally spill kits can clean up spills of automotive liquids such as gasoline, lubrication oil, hydraulic oils and coolant additives. They commonly contain items such as absorbents, a disposable bag and PPE and comply with the new MSA regulation J: 5.20.13, which states:

“It is strongly recommended for all competitors participating in single venue competitions to have available at their paddock base, and for multi venue competitions to carry within their vehicle a self contained spill kit capable of effectively absorbing minor spillages of up to 1.25 litres of all vehicle fluids – oils, fuels, coolants, battery acid. Used spill kits are to be disposed of in accordance with local or National guidelines.”