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BP engineers in the Gulf of Mexico have started to lower onto the sea bed what is perhaps the largest spill containment device ever built. The 40ft funnel, which has been manufactured by BP at an astounding rate, is being lowered over the oil leak off the Louisiana coastline after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded two weeks ago killing eleven workers.

The massive operation will take at least two days to complete as the funnel need to be lowered to the sea bed and then fixed in place using submersibles. The funnel will then need to be connected to a ship that has large oil storage tanks. This will take a further two days before the spill level can be reduced.

Estimates state that about 5000 barrels of oil per day are spilling into the water off the Louisiana coast and it is only a matter of time before the oil reaches the mainland. The BP chief executive Tony Hayward has stated that there is currently an “armada” of ships trying to contain the leak and stop it reaching the shore.

Dealing with spills quickly and efficiently is of paramount importance if you want to protect the environment and keep health and safety standards above an acceptable level.

It can be difficult to contain some spills, as can be seen currently with the large oil spill off the East coast of the USA. Even though safe systems of work have been put in place and safe systems of work are followed it is easy to see that spills can occur. Instead of being underprepared in situations like this, the best course of action is to have disaster recovery systems in place to protect not just the environment and the employees but also the company’s reputation.

Spill containment and management is not something that should be learned after the event. It is something that should be planned for, and hence adequate training should be undertaken by your staff to ensure a quick, productive response in the event of a spill. Different types of spills need different techniques to be used so they can be dealt with properly and there are of course many different spill containment and cleaning systems you can use to cope with a spill. If you are trained properly you will know what system to use for which type of spill.

If you are the health and safety officer in a large manufacturing facility you will be well aware of the number of hazards that are present to all the employees on a daily basis. That is why in places of work such as this, there are safe systems of work in place and risk assessments done on any working activity that may pose a risk to a person’s health.

One of the major types of accident at an industrial site are those caused by a slip, trip or a fall. These accidents account for a large proportion of all accidents at work and hence steps need to be taken to minimise the risk to employees and for the company to have systems in place to prevent accidents and clean up spills that may lead to slips or falls.

Most manufacturing plants use large machinery that needs to be lubricated to work properly. This means that oil needs to be added to these machines regularly to keep their levels topped up. If the machine is new, the likelihood is it will not leak, however on some sites that use machinery that is decades old it is a common occurrence to see drips of oil from the seams of the machinery. In instances like this, it is the duty holder’s responsibility to make sure the leak or spill is controlled and repaired and at least cleaned up using oil absorbents such as pads or socks.

News has reached us that oil producer BP has taken absolute responsibility for the clean up operation after one of its oil wells exploded off the east coast of America earlier last month.

The company are not however taking responsibility for the accident that sank the rig and with US President Barak Obama stating

“BP is responsible for this leak. BP will be paying the bill,”

they need to take action quickly to avert an environmental disaster.

We brought you news last week regarding the spill. But with no end in sight to the huge amount of oil leaking from the bore hole and crews trying in vain to cap the leak. And now the wind direction potentially moving the slick from its current offshore position towards Florida, it looks like the impact will be worse than first feared.

Ships are currently using floating booms to contain the oil but with an estimated 5000 barrels leaking everyday it is a mammoth task. A oil containment vessel has also been sent to the site to ‘suck up’ the escaped oil and BP state they are drilling a new well to relive the pressure of the escaping oil. But the robots that are currently working on the broken safety valve need to have some success soon to stop the flow completely.

The cleanup and containment of spills of hazardous liquids and chemicals is an essential consideration for all industries. That is why they have to have safe systems of work in place to deal with any spillages and to make sure that their employees are safe when handling hazardous substances.

Employers are duty bound to provide their employees with personal protective equipment (PPE) such as protective coveralls, heavy duty disposable gloves and splash resistant goggles. Most employees will use PPE on a daily basis as part of their job but it is also important that employers provide access to such equipment in areas that are likely to face spillage issues.

There can be stringent safe systems of work in place and there can still be a spill, so it is really important for employers to focus on this area heavily when choosing other spill clean up or containment devices such as spill kits or absorbents.

If you have a look online at the various spill kits available, you will find that most contain some sort of PPE as part of the package. However it is important to remember that having additional equipment on hand at the time of the spill is also important and can really make difference in the time scale that the spill is contained and cleaned.

On a massively smaller scale than the environmental disaster that is looming on the East coast of the USA, it is still important for industrial users to do everything they can to contain any oil spills that might take place at there work site. The control of liquid and gases that are hazardous to health is an important consideration for all industrial premises. So, containment to prevent accidents to persons and the environment should feature in all the health and safety policies that use these products.

If you are storing large quantities of oil, you will be aware that on the 1st of September 2005, the final phase of the oil storage regulations came into force which stated that all oil containers that store 200 litres or more need to be stored on a bunded pallet, a drip tray or within a purpose built bunded storage unit.

Oil drum storage is therefore a necessity at all sites that use 205 litre storage drums. There are of lots of solutions to your drum storage problems but if you need to store large quantities of drums you can find bunded storage units available that can store a large number of drums safely.

If you have seen the news recently, you will undoubtedly be aware of the environmental disaster looming on the east coast of the USA. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on the 20th of April leaving eleven workers still missing. The Coast Guard has stated that new estimates on the quantity of oil leaking are now approaching 5000 barrels per day.

The coast guard attempted a controlled burn of a vast quantity of oil that was floating on the surface of the sea on Wednesday but barely touched the surface. Other vessels are trying to contain some of the spill using booms and absorbents so it can be collected. Attempts to stop the leak are still taking place with robotic submersibles trying to cap the leak using a domed device, but early estimates state that it may take weeks before it is contained.

In the meanwhile the US president Barak Obama has stated that he would give

"every single available resource"

to try to contain the effects of the disaster. With oil now washing up on the Louisiana coastline, it could be years until the scale and the environmental cost of the disaster could be analysed.

Handling chemicals is an extremely delicate process, particularly if the chemicals involved are toxic or hazardous. If chemicals are not handled correctly, they can cause damage to the environment as well as to the people around. Due to this, it is essential to have the right type of chemical spill kit in place to handle any kind of spill accident.

As chemical spills are most common in many laboratories and business establishments, it is always recommended to have an effective plan ready. Chemical spill kits are available in numerous sizes and shapes. They are specially designed to meet the cleaning needs of chemical spills. The size of chemical spill kits is generally in gallons. All chemical spill kits contain safety equipment and absorbent materials within them.

When purchasing chemical spill kits, it is important to look for one that can easily handle the quantity of chemicals at your facility. Goggles and gloves are the minimum safety equipment you need to have in your business facility. It is also very important to train your staff on how to use the safety equipment and absorbent material in case of any chemical spills.

The 5 gallon bucket size chemical spill kit is one of the most popular kits used for cleaning small spills. This spill kit generally comes with a lid removal tool for fast removal in the case of emergency. It also comes with a rubber gasket seal for keeping out the moisture.

So, as long as you provide proper training to your staff about spillages, chemical spill kits are the most reliable and effective tools in the case of emergency.

Bunded oil tanks are generally used for the transportation of fuel. By using bunded oil tanks you can take all the required precautions and care to meet safety standards. For example, there are many cases wherein oil tanks have leakages. It can also be very dangerous if these tanks or containers come in direct contact with fire. However, in order to avoid such occurrences, it is essential to have the right type of bunded oil tank in place.

Having quality bunded oil tanks offers many advantages to the users. Bunded oil tanks are delicate products that need to be handled with care. This is mainly due the nature of their operations. Thus, fuel carriers should ensure that they handle bunded oil tanks with expertise and precision. The best part of bunded oil tanks is the fact that they enable you to carry larger quantities in place of using normal containers.

When using bunded oil tanks you can ensure that the contents you are carrying have the least possibility of leaking due to cracks. Fundamentally, this means that the probabilities of an accident occurring under such conditions are minimised to a greater extent when using bunded oil tanks. Besides causing damages to your property, accidents due to fuel spillages can also lead to a loss of lives. This is why it is very important to clean the oil and chemical spillages at the time they occur.

By using chemical spill kits, absorbent booms, socks and pillows, spillages can be cleaned easily and effectively and there is no damage done to the surrounding environment.