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Oil spills and fuel spills can be difficult to clean up and completely remove the spilled liquid. So what happens when fifty tonnes of molten aluminium are spilled?

That’s just what happened at a foundry in Shropshire last week. Fire crews were called to the incident at Bridgnorth Aluminium at 11 pm on Sunday when it was reported that the molten liquid had leaked from a furnace. They remained on the scene for 8 hours trying to contain and control the spill and ensuing fire.

Four fire crews were called to the incident from fire stations in Shrewsbury, Much Wenlock, Newport and Telford. The incident at the factory on Old Worcester Road was quickly brought under control and although there were potentially explosive oxygen and acetylene cylinders located at the scene, they were not involved in the blaze that ensued.

While containing a molten aluminium spill might be considered little tricky, spills of oil and fuel can easily be contained and absorbed by the excellent spill control products currently on the market. There are spill pads, pillows and socks that can all be used to aid the collection of a spilled liquid and for larger spills, spill containment booms and barriers can offer an excellent spill control solution.

An oil spill from a grounded tanker has been threatening the coast of Pagudpud in the Philippines.

The spill, from an abandoned North Korean cargo ship had increased in rate over the last few days due to rough seas to about 200 litres per hour.

Salvaging operations were undergoing on the vessel before bad weather meant they had to stop. The district commander of the coastguard of Northern Luzon, Captain George Ursabia, has said that locals living near the coast have no cause for concern, as dispersant chemicals are being sprayed on the affected area which breaks the oil up into small globules.

He stated:

“Oil spill booms were already placed in the affected portions particularly in the areas were the water is still brownish which was contaminated by Industrial Diesel Oil (IDO) to prevent the leak from further spreading”

The North Korean vessel ran aground on the 1st of January this year when it was fully loaded. It is thought that the vessel was carrying 116,000 cubic litres of bunker fuel in its fuel tanks, which if released could have a serious impact on the coast around Pagudpud.

There were major delays on the M8 in Scotland yesterday when an oil spill on the carriageway caused traffic chaos.

Drivers faced hours of queues after the incident near Harthill Services in West Lothian. The accident, which resulted in two lanes of the eastbound motorway being closed, happened during the morning rush hour.

The tailbacks on the motorway reached as far back as Ballieston in Glasgow with police warning motorists to allow more time to complete their journey.

Strathclyde Police were called to the incident on Wednesday morning and had to use spill kits and spill control equipment to remove the spilled oil.

Spill kits come in small easy to carry bags that can be worn on the shoulder and large sized containers that contain items such as absorbent pads, absorbent pillows and absorbent socks. Some spill kits also contain personal protective equipment so that the spill kit user can protect themselves quickly, speeding up the spill response time.

If you drive an HGV, it’s worth having a look at the spill kits that are available that can fit neatly into your cab. They are not only excellent to use if you spill the contents you are carrying, they are also perfect to use if your lorry suffers an oil spill or fuel leak.

A chemical spill at a hospital in Scotland left staff needing medical attention after they suffered breathing difficulties.

The spill, at Ayr Hospital on Dalmellington Road, affected eight members of staff who were working near the intensive care ward. The spill occurred from a refrigeration unit located nearby, firefighters were called and had to wear chemical suits and breathing apparatus to seal the leak, thought to be ammonia.

Patients were evacuated from the hospital as a precaution during the spill incident which happened at 6:45pm on Tuesday evening.

All the eight members of staff treated complained of problems breathing and some had headaches.

Fire crews from Kilmarnock had to be assisted by the technical support unit from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue who used the chemical suits to locate and diagnose the problem.

The ward has since fully reopened and the refrigeration unit taken away for inspection.

It’s important for all premises that use hazardous liquids, whether pubic sector or private sector, to have spill kits available, so when a liquid is spilled the spill response can be positive and proactive.

If you use liquid containment drums at your industrial site, you will be aware of the safety implications of storing them appropriately. To do this you need to use the right type of equipment to make sure that the risk of a spill is minimised.

Drum taps

If you use the right type of drum taps you can minimise the risk of an accidental spill from a tap.

Drum taps are available in types including simple to use polyethylene which is chemical resistant, to hardwearing cast iron which is perfect for industrial use. Some taps are self closing meaning that you have to apply positive action to dispense liquids, further reducing the risk of a spill.

Drum pumps

To move liquid from drums to IBCs or to your liquid storage container, you need to use drum pumps. Drum pumps can be electrically or mechanically operated with siphoning pumps another popular choice. They are available in a wide variety of pump sizes and can pump a wide range of chemicals and corrosive liquids.

Drum dollies and trolleys

Drum dollies and trolleys are the best way to transport your storage drums from one location to another. Some dollies and trolleys also have bunds, so if any of the contents of the drums are spilled they can be safely contained within the bund.

China’s largest ever oil spill hit the headlines at the weekend again after a blaze at the oil spill site brought the disaster back into public view.

The spill at Xingang port, Dalian, in July was largely overshadowed at the time by the enormity of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Greenpeace put the figure of oil spilled in Dalian between 60,000 and 90,000 tonnes, a significant amount.

The spill cleanup operation in the port is ongoing and the knock on effects of the oil has hit the local fishing village and the economy hard. And with no damages awarded to any of the affected parties, it remains to be seen how long the recovery will take. The pipelines at the oil tank field and oil tanks themselves are run by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) which is state owned. However even though an investigation was conducted into the spill at the time of the event which pointed the finger at human error, the CNPC has not been fined.

The latest blast is an indication that much needs to be done to improve safety standards and put spill control practices in place so future spills can be contained.

Sea water off the coast of New Orleans is being tested after a large area of discoloured water was discovered this weekend, prompting fears that it could be oil from the Deepwater horizon oil spill.

Tests on the water will be able to confirm whether the discolouration, which is suspected to be oil, actually originated from the Macondo well. There also appears to be a large algal bloom in the area which Jeff Hall, from United Area Command says could account for some of the discolouration.

Two reconnaissance flights and two sea going vessels checked the waters on Saturday and discovered that the area in question is around 2.5 miles long and 300 yards wide. Mr Hall stated that it appears to be

“some kind of silvery, weathered oil”.

The BP spill happened over six months ago and although we were led to believe that most of the spilled oil had been dispersed and collected by booms, some researchers are claiming that large quantities of oil are being found on the sea bed. Fishermen are also claiming to have found mile-long strands of weathered oil floating on the sea surface.

There are many different types of spill kits now available on the market. These include large sized kits, that are perfect for use at industrial sites and are stored in wheeled bins or lockers, and smaller spill kits that are perfect to store on a vehicle or in the workshop.

Vehicle oil spill kits

These spill kits are the perfect accessory for an HGV or van driver. The kits come in easy to carry bags and have about 28 litres absorbency capacity.

Forklift spill kits

The essential accessory for forklift trucks. These spill kits can be fixed to the back of forklift trucks and are perfect to use in the warehouse and even outdoors. They have a 12 litres absorbency rating.

Wheeled locker spill kits

Wheeled locker spill kits are large sized kits perfect for industrial use. They contain a huge amount of spill control and cleanup components, including spill pillows, pads and socks. The absorbency capacity of these kits is about 1200 litres.

Tube spill kits

These spill kits are perfect to carry around any industrial site. They have about 20 litres absorbency capacity and can soak up fuel and oil spills.

Everyone knows that a tidy workshop is a safe workshop. And if everything has a place, then it can be located quickly when it is needed. To aid industrial sites and improve the health and safety of workers at these sites, different storage facilities and safety equipment is available to purchase.

Steel shelving

Steel shelving is a necessity in many industrial environments, for the storage of spare and replacement items. Most industrial sites will carry a level of stock for different electrical and mechanical components and these are commonly stored on steel shelving. Easy to fix steel shelving comes in different sizes with different carrying capacities; you just need to choose a type for your application.

Workshop cupboards

Workshop cupboards are the perfect way to store tools and other items holding some value or worth. If these items are stored away properly, the workers will be able to access them when needed.

Easy access spill kits

If your spill kits are kept in a location where they are easily visible to all employees, they will be able to be accessed quickly and efficiently. This will aid spill response time and reduce plant downtime because of a spill.