What are the top uses of Spill Kits?

Spill kits are a requirement in any area where hazardous materials of any kind, liquid or dry are kept or stored, both in the private and commercial sectors. They have two main purposes, to contain any spills of hazardous materials and to provide the equipment and safety gear required to contain and clean them up.

Once a hazardous spill occurs, it is vital that it’s contained and then cleaned up in the shortest possible time. This is because of the potential nature of hazardous spills to pollute the environment and cause harm to waterways, soil and vegetation, animals and humans.

A hazardous spill can slow down production and require areas to be sealed off to prevent the possible spread of contaminants and to avoid the chances of any person or animal coming into contact with the hazardous substance involved.

All workers need to be well trained in using all the equipment and safety gear in a spill kit. They also need to be well versed in any evacuation procedures and practice the things they need to do in the event of a spillage of all or any of the chemicals they could possibly have to deal with, in the event of a spill or other type of emergency.

All workers and management need to easily be able to locate spill kits anywhere in the facility they are in.

Types of Spill Kits

There are several types of spill kits available. The type and size of spill kits that are required in a facility depends on the type and the volume of hazardous materials that are stored there.

There are spill kits designed for specific types of hazardous material such as liquids and dry goods. Some solid, hazardous materials can be in powder, granules, pellets, nuggets or blocks. Liquid hazardous materials can be water or oil soluble, acidic, alkaline flammable, nonflammable, needing to be kept under pressure or cool.

Some types of hazardous materials must be kept completely dry, while others need to be protected from oxygen or being contaminated with other chemicals,

They all require different methods of handling and storage so they are safe and have a long shelf life.

It is usually advisable to only keep enough hazardous materials on hand for immediate use and replenish store as required rather that keeping them for long periods of time.

There are universal spill kits as well as specialist spill kits, depending on the needs of the facility and the people working there.

Some spill kits come in packets that are designed to be hung on the wall for easy access. Others are contained in wheelie type bins that can be used in the cleanup operation. There are spill kits that are made to be easily transported in a duffel style bag and larger kits with wheels or trailered.

One of the most important things about spill kits is that they are kept up to date and always ready to be used. They give workers peace of mind knowing the can be safe in an emergency and lower the risks of contamination and pollution. All premises need to be equipped with adequate spill kits to deal with any hazardous materials that are used or stored there

Wssa is a Dangerous Goods Storage Specialists based in Queensland, Australia.