News

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is now commonplace in every industry.

Keeping your employees safe in the job they do and giving them equipment to wear that makes the job safer and cleaner, is no longer just seen as a benefit. It is now mandatory to supply equipment for employees to use where they may come into contact with a hazardous substance or when they may suffer adverse effects from coming into daily contact with a non-hazardous material.

Safety goggles

Safety goggles should be worn when there is a chance of splashes from a hazardous liquid. They should also be worn when any object may inadvertently come into contact with the eyes, this might be when drilling or when using machinery.

Disposable gloves

Because the hands are a part of the body that are likely to come into contact first with a potential hazardous substance, gloves should be provided. When working on machinery that uses fuel oils or when handling equipment that may have come into contact with chemicals, gloves should always be worn.

Protective overalls

In some situations there may be a call to completely protect the employee from hazardous substances. In these situations the employee should wear a complete coverall over their body to stop it from coming into contact with potential hazardous substances.

Spill kits are the perfect emergency spill solution for many different industries. And now spill kits aren’t just available for general purpose use or oil spill use. There are spill kits available today that can also be used for the containment and cleanup of specific spilled substances.

Mercury spill kit

Mercury spills are extremely hazardous, so it’s important to have the right equipment to hand to clean up these kinds of spills. A mercury spill kit will contain items that will help you to contain the mercury spill, clean the spill area and dispose of the dangerous element.

The kit minimises the toxic effect of the mercury, while also suppressing emissions from the element by solidifying it into a solid amalgam.

Body fluid spill kit

Body fluid spill kits are perfect to keep at hand if you work in the healthcare industry. The kit will immobilise and absorb spills from blood, urine and vomit, providing a sanitary solution to a potential infection hazard.

Acid neutralising spill kit

Acid spill kits can neutralise acid spills so clean up can safely take place. They are easy to use and can decontaminate the site quickly, so work at the spill site can recommence. Because these spill kits neutralise the acid, the spill area is environmentally benign, so any leftover waste can be washed into the waste water drainage system.

We all know the inherent problems of using a generator. They are often smelly, noisy and they can leak oil or fuel products.

Legislation has now tightened control on fuel and oil leaks, so it’s imperative if you use a generator to make sure any fuel leaks are contained. And this is especially important if you are using a generator outside.

The problem with using a drip tray to catch any leaks or spills is as soon as it rains, the drip try will fill and the contents of the tray, including the spilled fuel, will also leak over the tray sides. If however you use a spill containment solution that lets rain water pass through its surface naturally and still collects fuel spills, you will have a credible solution to the problem.

The Plant Nappy does just that. It allows rain water to pass through its padded walls, but collects fuel leaks so the environment is not affected. The Plant Nappy can be fitted with a different liner each time it is used, so can be used numerous times before replacement is necessary. It is therefore an excellent spill control device.

Fuel liquids need to be stored carefully. The leakage of a substance that could cause damage to the environment could have severe consequences for a company’s reputation, not to mention failure to comply with health and safety and COSHH regulations.

To prevent leaks and stop spills, you can now purchase bunded tanks to store hazardous liquids. And in some cases, these types of tanks are the only type that can be used under recent legislation. But what is a bunded tank and how does it work?

A bunded tank is actually a tank within a tank. The liquid contents are contained in the inner vessel, but should the inner vessel leak, the contents will be contained by spilling into the outer vessel. The outer vessel usually has a capacity 110% larger than the inner vessel, so all the spilled contents can be contained.

Most bunded tanks can be fitted with a bund alarm so the user will know if the inner bund fails and also overfill protection valves, so no substance can leak if the tank is accidently overfilled.

Bunded tanks are available in a wide range of sizes that are suitable for many different types of industrial applications.

A report by the National Oil Spill Commission in the US has criticised the White House and coastguard officials regarding their response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The report suggests that the US coastguard was “overly optimistic” that BP would be able to handle the incident quickly and the response from the government in the US “seemed to lag”.

It is also claimed in the draft report that President Obama’s administration stopped government scientists’ attempts to warn the general public of the worst case scenario regarding the amount of oil that could be spilled.

The National Oil Spill Commission was appointed by President Obama, so their findings will undoubtedly cause problems for the US president.

It seems that scientists from the US government actually overestimated the amount of crude oil that had evaporated or had been removed from the sea and had underestimated the amount of oil seeping into the Gulf from the Macondo well.

The report also pointed out that Carol Browner, the advisor on energy policy, had stated on national television that three quarters of the oil had gone, which at the time was wholly incorrect.

It seems the fall-out from the disaster will rumble on for some time yet.

A haulage company has been hit with a heavy fine after an oil spill in its vehicle maintenance area seriously affected local wildlife.

The company, VK transport, were ordered to pay just under £7,000 for the incident which polluted the River Thames.

The Environment Agency brought the case to Kingston-upon-Thames Magistrates' Court after finding that the haulier had allowed the oil to seep into a surface sewer that led to a waste outflow at Westfield Landing in Kingston. A member of the public contacted the Environment Agency after noticing the oil spill on the surface of the river.

The source of the pollution was eventually traced to the maintenance yard in Marsh Lane that was leased by VK Transport.

On inspection, it was found that the oil interceptor (used to stop small spills) in the yard was so full it could not function, which led to an overflow of oil. VK accepted responsibility for not emptying the interceptor and were fined the above amount.

The Environment officer said that the spill caused:

"significant damage to local wildlife and the general area.

"Although a number of swans had to be rescued and cared for by the local swan sanctuary, it was fortunate that the pollution didn't result in any fish mortality.

"Irresponsible handling of oil and disposing of oil down drains is totally unacceptable and we are pleased that the court has recognised this."

All companies that use liquids such as fuel oil need to have the correct spill control equipment such as spill kits on site, to deal with spills as soon as they are noticed.

If you store liquid in containment drums at your industrial site, you have to make sure that all eventualities are considered if the contents were to spill. There is now a huge array of drum storage containers and holders available, which can collect drips and leaks from cracked or damaged drums just for this purpose.

Drum taps

Drum taps are an essential component for any firm that needs to dispense liquids from drums on a regular basis. There are quite a few different types of drum taps available including:

• Self closing drum taps – Perfect to save time when dispensing liquid from the drum. The positive action needed to dispense liquid means the tap cannot be left on, minimising the risk of a spill.

• Polyethylene drum taps – A cheaper option than a metal drum tap, these are perfect for use on all types of drums and are corrosion resistant.

• Cast iron drum taps – These taps are a heavy duty type of tap that is ideal for dispensing any type of fuel oil. Their smooth operation makes them easy to use and the brass faceplate makes a good seal, stopping drips and leaks.

A spill of astronomical proportions has hit a small town in Hungary after an industrial sludge reservoir burst and the liquid poured through the town.

The torrent of red coloured industrial sludge was similar to a tidal wave in proportions when it escaped from the Ajkai Timfoldgyar plant near Ajka. It engulfed at least seven villages and was at 2m deep in places. Early reports suggest that at least four people drowned with over 100 injured. There are six people still unaccounted for, it’s thought that the dead drowned in the flood waters.

Because the disaster is on such a large scale, a state of emergency has been declared in three counties.

The chemical sludge is a residue of mining waste which contains heavy metals. The plant produces a synthetic aluminium oxide called alumina.

The estimated quantity of waste spilled is thought to be in the region of 700,000 cubic metres. The Hungarian Environment Minister has described the accident as Hungary’s worst chemical accident.

At least 2cm of soil from the surface of the contaminated area will have to be removed, which will be a huge undertaking.

Workers are frantically trying to stop the contamination entering the river Danube and 500 police offices and soldiers, with six emergency response teams are working day and night to tackle the spill.

A small oil spill from a decommissioned pipe in Edmonton, Canada, caused residents huge concern when they noticed the clean up operation but were not given any information about the severity of the impact of the spill.

The spill, which was only around 2 barrels or 300 litres of oil, spilled into Edmonton Creek on the 23rd of September. The pipe in question was owned by Gibson Energy, an oil distribution company.

The Energy Resources Board, in response to public criticism, stated that there was no public warning issued because they only need to be issued when there’s a “public impact”.

The leak happened at Gibson energy’s holding facility. The company notified all the appropriate bodies and began the cleanup operation straight away.

Rachel Notley the new Democratic Party environment critic stated:

"The public has the right to know what's going on right from the outset,

"To say after the fact that there was no impact so there was no need to let anyone know doesn't ring true. I find it hard to believe that you can dump oil into water that flows into the North Saskatchewan without having some impact."

Oil spills can have a huge impact on the environment. However, having the right type of spill containment and control equipment at hand, can reduce the impact of the spill and save time and money.