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Very few of us have managed to escape the ice and snow this winter, and if weather reports are to be believed, we could be looking at a very long and very harsh winter.

Although none of us have any control over climatic conditions, the consequences and disruption caused can be reduced by ensuring that you’re prepared.

Last winter, scores of individuals and businesses alike found themselves completely unprepared for the onslaught of snow, and in many areas, rock salt was in very short supply. However, this year rock salt suppliers are prepared for whatever the weather may bring, and if you haven’t already, you need to ensure that you stock up in order to ensure that your employees are safe.

Even if the nature of your business doesn’t involve employees working outdoors when conditions are treacherous, foot paths and car parking areas will needed to be gritted throughout the duration of Antarctic conditions.

Good quality rock salt will help to reduce the spread and formation of snow and ice on surfaces outdoors, which can help to reduce the chance of the occurrence of a nasty accident.

Rock salt is indispensible for any business this winter.

Whatever type of liquids you deal with- hazardous or otherwise- there’s always a risk that a spill might occur, and for this reason, you need to ensure that your workplace possesses adequate equipment to clear up any spill quickly and easily.

It goes without saying that spills of any hazardous substances need to be cleared up without delay with the correct type of spill kit. Carefully assess the type and volume of hazardous substances which you handle on a regular basis and invest accordingly.

Whilst non-hazardous substances might not present immediate danger, as they could cause a nasty accident in the form of a slip, they do also need to be dealt with swiftly.

A spill of any type can spiral out of control with amazing speed, although by ensuring that you have the necessary spill control equipment to hand, you can gain control over the situation speedily.

Spill kits should be placed in easily accessible locations, and you should also ensure that staff are fully trained in using them- enrolling them on a spill training course is a good idea.

By equipping your workplace with the necessary spill control equipment, any potential disasters can be easily avoided.

Every industrial site should be prepared in case of a hazardous liquid spill, whether it is a fuel spill, an acid spill or a chemical spill the site needs to make provision for controlling the spill and cleaning it up effectively.

Spill kits have been designed to cope with a huge number of different types of spills and can make dealing with a spilled substance a quick, efficient operation. Some of the products found in spill kits include:

• Absorbent socks

• Absorbent pads

• Absorbent pillows

• Absorbent granules

• Disposable bags for used products

• PPE

General purpose spill kits

Perhaps the most widely used spill kit is the general purpose type. These kits offer a multi-purpose spill control solution and can control and absorb a variety of non-hazardous spilled substances such as chemicals and oils.

General purpose spill kits are available in a huge array of sizes and come in easy to carry bags or push along bins, depending on the size of the kit. A standard mini-wheelie bin kit will comprise of 65 absorbent pads as well as a number of absorbent socks and pillows and will be able to absorb around 125 litres of spilled liquid. Because the kit is contained within a small wheelie bin, it can be moved to the spill site quickly and is the perfect kit to have at the ready in a warehouse, a small factory or a workshop.

The National Trust has expressed their unease that an oil spill from a tanker close to the coast of the UK could have severe consequences to wildlife. The new minister for transport, Mike Penning, is planning to allow ship-to-ship transfers of oil off the coast of Suffolk, stating that the transfer of all liquids

“...will be very strictly controlled”.

However, the National Trust states that many small spills go unnoticed. Martin Atkinson, a National Trust property manager stated:

"We are concerned there could be damage to this important habitat should the worst happen,"

The transfer of oils would be controlled in a single designated area, and ships transferring oil would require a permit. Mr Penning further stated:

"The previous government had attempted to ban any ship-to-ship.

"But actually, what they were going to do was push it all 12.1 miles offshore, so we had no control over them at all.

"What we've got now is legislation in place which will protect the environment and allow the industry to safely do the work they need to do."

However, in response John Perkins, who is the secretary of the Southwold and Reydon society stated:

"You've got dozens of fairly poorly maintained Russian oil tankers with 10,000 to 30,000 gallons on board and the law of averages will tell you that whatever precautions somebody takes, you are going to get an accident.

"There are 30,000 jobs in Suffolk that depend on tourism and if suddenly all of your coastline is covered in oil, who is going to come here?"

A diesel spill on the A14 caused traffic chaos Last Friday morning when the road had to be closed.

The spill happened after a collision between two HGVs near Fenstanton. Diesel spilled from one of the lorries which made the road impassable until the spilled liquid had been cleaned up. The road was closed for three hours while teams cleaned up the spill, which happened at around 8am at junction 27.

There were no serious injuries to either of the truck drivers who were involved in the incident, but one of the drivers had to be cut from their vehicle by the fire brigade using specialist cutting equipment.

The carriageway westbound was completely closed to traffic and there were diversions in place on the A428 and the A1198 until the road reopened at just after 1.00pm.

Fuel spill kits

Fuel spill kits are the ideal way to control and soak up spilled fuel products. They have been designed to only soak up fuel spills, while repelling water, which means they can be used in many external applications. The kits are available in huge array of sizes, from kits that can be carried over your shoulder, to kits that are large enough to fit in a trailer so they can be transported to a spill incident quickly.

The fire brigade and ambulance crews were called to Robert Wiseman Dairy’s in North Petherton last Thursday night after reports of an acid leak.

The diary, in Somerset, is one of the largest in the county and processes thousands of litres of milk every day. Upon arrival the crews found that acid had leaked from a pipe and injured two members of staff. The staff members had to be taken to hospital by the paramedics after one suffered burns to their face and another member of staff suffered leg injuries.

An investigation is underway to find out how the incident happened. The communications director at the dairy, Graeme Jack, said the workers had:

"unintentional contact with a fluid used to clean pipes".

"Both members of staff were attended by on-site first aiders and paramedics and admitted to hospital on a precautionary basis,

"They have now been discharged from hospital and are expected to make a full and quick recovery."

Spill control

Acid spills can be particularly hazardous. However, there are ways of making sure that you are prepared if you have an acid spill at your industrial site. You can buy acid neutralising powder from spill control specialists which when used renders the acid harmless so it can be easily disposed of.

Unfortunately, it appears as though we are in for a very cold, long winter, and most parts of the UK have already had the misfortune of having to try and battle through these treacherous conditions.

When snow and ice strike, commuting to the workplace can be an extremely hazardous task, and if you work in an outdoor environment, these hazards can be present throughout the duration of the working day.

By law, you are required to ensure that your employees are provided with a safe environment in which to work. However, snow and ice can compromise safety, and for this reason you need to ensure that your workplace has more than enough bags of grit to deal with whatever the weather throws at you.

As well as being highly effective, bags of grit can be picked up very affordably, and grit can be laid quickly- i.e. before a mishap has the opportunity to strike.

In addition to being highly effective at eliminating existing ice and snow, grit also comes in handy when weather reports warn you of impending snow or ice. Prevention is always preferable to cure.

Ensuring that your workplace is more than equipped to deal with the weather will help to make winter safer and much more bearable.

Residents of Tullyard Way in Belfast where a recent oil spill took place have complained to authorities about the delay in cleaning it up, saying the odours and fumes are unbearable.

The leak was first reported to environmental health after residents complained of a heavy diesel smell rising from pipes.

An oil spill control team has been attempting to address the situation for around 11 days, but none of their efforts have worked. After identifying the leak as home heating oil, they have tried to disperse it with chemicals but to no avail.

Residents in the area are furious that more hasn’t been done to clean up the spill and get rid of the fumes that rise out of the pipes, sinks and toilets in their homes. They complain that the fumes are over-powering and an irritant, leaving them no choice but to leave windows open despite the freezing conditions.

One resident, William Moore, said:

“This is affecting so many people and it’s a real emergency. My neighbours next door are two pensioners and they can’t keep their window open too much because of the cold.

“The fumes hit you in the back of the throat and my eyes haven’t stopped watering. We have been told the fumes aren’t toxic but that they are an irritant.”

A spill in Liverpool’s dock area is being investigated after about 250 tonnes of fuel oil spilled from a boat after an accident.

The clean-up operation is currently underway, with large numbers of absorbent booms being used to keep the spill contained within one specific area. No spilled fuel oil has apparently entered the Mersey estuary.

It is estimated that the clean-up operation will take at least two weeks to complete, with teams of workers using various spill control devices to remove the oil from the water. Langton Lock is currently closed to shipping because of the incident, but the Port of Liverpool has said cruise operations will be affected. Langton lock is used to access the River Mersey.

A dock worker stated:

“There are big pools of oil floating on the water and people are out in orange boats trying to clean it up with buoys and booms.”

The spill is near the Seaforth nature reserve. The senior conservation officer for the RSPB, Tim Melling, stated:

“The spillage shouldn’t have an enormous impact, but if the dock gates were to be opened and the oil got out into the open sea, it would have a seriously devastating effect.”