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The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 require employers and the self-employed to protect employees or members of the public from risks of fire and explosion in the workplace.

The substances concerned include paints, inks, aerosols, varnishes, solvents, flammable gases, and dusts from machining and sanding operations and from foodstuffs.

DSEAR requires employers to conduct a risk assessment of their premises. The regulations are intended to remove or control any increased risks of explosive atmospheres and ignition. Employers must formulate an action plan to respond to any accidents, and staff must be trained to deal with any incident and be aware of the risks involved.

Substances that can potentially pose a risk of explosion or ignition must be stored in a unit adapted to the purpose. The Health and Safety Executive stipulate that suitable cabinets should be designed to retain spills and be fire resistant. Cabinets should be placed away from any emergency exits, and no more than 50 litres of liquid with a flashpoint below 32°C should be stored in one place.

The welded construction, stiffened doors and internal fire barrier, amongst other features, mean that suitable flammable storage cabinets retain their integrity for 30 minutes. They act as a barrier between the substances and the exterior, and thus delay their involvement in any incident.

According to the brand new Motor Sports Association (MSA) regulations for 2011 (which came into effect on January 1st), the organisers of certain types of events must ensure that they have motor sport spill kits in place.

In addition to having large MSA approved spill kits in paddock areas, the competitors themselves will have to carry a smaller, 1.25 litre spill capacity kit. It is the responsibility of the event organiser to ensure that these kits are in place and that they are complying with MSA regulations.

John Symes, who is the MSA’s Technical Director, has stated:

“As the governing body, the MSA has a duty to ensure that UK motor sport takes its environmental responsibility extremely seriously. Spill Kits are an essential part of fulfilling that responsibility and the MSA is making a substantial investment in these kits to ensure that everyone is able to implement best practice throughout the sport."

Your MSA spill kit

In order to meet the MSA’s approval, your motor sport spill kit should contain absorbent pads and granules, nitrile gloves and disposal bags. It should be capable of dealing with spills involving:

• Hydraulic oils

• Automotive fluids

• Grease

• Coolant additives

• Gasoline

• Lubricating oil

You can also choose to store your spill kit and secure it within the motor vehicle using a compact carry bag, although this is optional.

About 1.2 million homes across England and Wales have oil fired heating systems.

With any liquid storage container there is the risk of leakage. There are several causes of leaks, but the most common are tank or pipe failures.

The Oil Storage Regulations 2001 are designed to prevent oil spillage and leakage into the environment and apply to temporary and permanent tanks and drums of more than 200 litre capacity.

The regulations apply to the capacity of the tank and not the volume of oil stored. Empty tanks are still covered by the regulations, as they may contain oil residues which still pose a threat to the environment. If they don’t comply with the regulations they should be filled with a material to prevent subsequent use or decommissioned.

Heating oil can contaminate soil, water and the air. Chemicals in the oil can evaporate easily and produce fumes, whilst plastic water pipes cannot prevent oil contamination. Short term exposure is unlikely to have any serious detrimental effects on health, although longer contact can lead to irritated skin, dizziness, headaches and vomiting.

Our Bunded Oil Tanks comply fully with the Regulations and allow for 110% bund capacity. They comply with OFTEC manufacturing standards and are precision engineered and made from either steel or polyethylene.

As failure to comply with the regulations can mean a £5000 fine, it pays to check that your oil storage tank conforms!

Recent reports by the Environment Agency show that:

• One in six homes in England and Wales is at risk of flooding.

• Over 2.4 million properties are at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea in England, with 220,000 properties at risk in Wales.

• The expected annual damages to residential and non-residential properties in England at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea is estimated at more than £1 billion.

An extraordinary exercise was organised between the 4th and 11th March in order to test the response to catastrophic situations caused by flooding.

Exercise Watermark created a scenario based on the increased risks of severe flooding, more frequent rain storms and rising sea levels, all due to climate change.

Emergency services across the nation were asked to respond to situations that included stranded rail passengers, evacuations of residential areas, dam breaches, missing people, harmful chemicals leaking into flood waters and reacting to an oil spill incident in a river.

This last ‘incident’ was dealt with by erecting a pollution prevention boom across the river. Containment booms are ideal in the event of an emergency or an accidental spill: fence booms can be attached to the banks of low flow rivers, brooks and streams; whilst inflatable booms can be used on open water and larger areas.

If predictions are correct, then this type of exercise and the importance of spill containment equipment may increase in the future.

Earlier this week, an incident involving a chemical spill at a factory in Kidderminster required spill control intervention by emergency services.

Press officer for the Sealine factory, Sue Hardwick, said:

“It was a slight imbalance of chemicals mixed together which created smoke which set off the fire alarm and alerted the emergency services.”

Three employees had been splashed with the liquid chemicals and were complaining of breathing difficulties. They had to be decontaminated before being taken to hospital, although they were later released from Worcestershire Royal Hospital and returned to work the same day.

Firefighters protected by gas-tight suits and breathing apparatus then had to decontaminate the site and prepare the drum containing the chemicals for removal.

Sue Hardwick added that

“Sealine’s safety is of paramount importance. The emergency services and staff responded immediately. In reality it was a very minor incident but they did what was set in place and it is good to know the procedure works.”

Two fire engines were called to the scene, along with an environmental protection unit, a hazardous materials officer, several ambulances, a rapid response crew and police cars.

The station commander of Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said:

“We take every precaution during an incident of this nature but thankfully the three employees who were splashed by the chemicals are not thought to have been too seriously affected and we were able to make the drum safe ready for its removal from the premises.”

Spill kits are extremely effective at dealing with a spill on an industrial site. Whether the spill was chemical based or simply oil based, there is a type of spoil kit that can be used to contain the spill and clean it up. There are however some instances when the floor where the spill happened needs further attention so employees do not slip on the surface. And in instances like this you may need to clean the floor using a degreasing product.

Types of degreasing agents include:

Oil degreaser

This solution cleans oil spills and fuel spill from any surface type. It is water based and because it contains a bioremediation component it can be discharged to an oil/water separator with no ill effects.

Oil degreaser for tarmac, asphalt or concrete

If you have had a spill on a tarmac or concrete surface, you may need to use a specialist tarmac degreaser so the oil or fuel deposit can be removed.

Heavy duty oil degreaser

Heavy duty oil degreasers can clean surfaces that have been contaminated by fuel oil or chemical spills and because the solution is solvent based it can quickly cut through resistant stains easily.

There are many pollution instances in the UK every year, and in most cases these could have been stopped or at least minimised if the right spill control equipment had been used.

There are of course strict procedures to follow so the environment is not damaged by a hazardous spilled liquid and The Environment Agency enforce this with a set of Pollution Prevention Guidelines (PPGs), which give advice to the community and business operatives as to how they can meet current regulations.

Most pollution incidents in the UK originate from industrial sites but incidents can also happen in agriculture and at home too. If a business takes the appropriate steps however, the waste they produce can be handled effectively and properly, reducing the chances of a spill.

The implementation of safety systems and good waste control business practices may take a little time, but the cost will be minimal compared to the fine imposed if you are found negligent of causing a spill which harms the environment. Something that can be highlighted in the extreme by the huge fines and costs BP has had to pay after the Deep Water Horizon oil spill.

The Environment Agency PPGs highlight the areas important to business users which need to be followed to minimise the chance of a spill, so are a good place to start while implementing your own spill control procedures.

There are a wide range of spill kits available for use in every type of industry. From spill kits that can be used to clean up major chemical spills, to small spill kits that are suitable for use in a workshop environment, there is a great choice on offer.

Spill kits are primarily used to contain the spill so it doesn’t contaminate the surrounding area and to clean up the spill so the spilled liquid can be effectively removed. The kits usually contain items such as absorbent materials, PPE and some sort of bag to dispose of the used items.

Spill kits are used widely in industry as a safety net in case of a spill, but they can also be used in other instances, such as to clean a spill from a water course or made specifically for use in a handy carry bag for use on an HGV.

Forklift truck spill kits

Forklift trucks are usually battery operated or diesel operated. And spill kits can be purchased that can be fitted to both these types of machines. The kits fit neatly to the back of the forklift and contain everything you need to cope with a fuel spill.

Police, fire crews and the ambulance service were in action at the weekend after a reported chemical spill in West Lothian.

A police spokesperson confirmed that four children had been taken to hospital after coming into contact with waste materials outside a dentist surgery in Market Place, Whitburn. Police later confirmed however that there was in fact no spillage, but the children had in fact come into contact with chemical residue from waste products at the rear of the surgery.

The Scottish ambulance service attended the scene after being called by the fire brigade and arrived with four specialist vehicles alongside two regular ambulances, a spokesperson for the service stated:

"There was a report of a chemical spillage,"

A spokesperson for the Lothian and Borders Fire and rescue service stated:

"Four children and one adult were taken to St John's Hospital. Two pumps and other specialist vehicles were sent to the scene. They cleared up the spillage."

A Lothian police spokesperson reported:

"Ambulance and fire and rescue services were in attendance and the four children were taken, purely as a precautionary measure, to St Johns Hospital in Livingston. They were shortly thereafter reunited with their parents. No medical treatment was required.

"Police are carrying out follow up inquiries."