Understand your obligations.
Glen suggests starting your screening process by identifying any activities or areas on your site that could cause contamination. “It is essential to assess and manage the risk of environmental contamination occurring in your workplace using a risk assessment approach. Businesses can maintain compliance and safety by ensuring they are up to date with the regulations that they apply to chemical spills,” says Glen.
Under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, companies that fail to implement adequate spill control measures face up to 5,000 penalty units ($1,110,000) for an individual and up to 50,000 penalty units ($11,100,000) for a body corporate.1. “While every workplace is different and the issues and responses required will vary accordingly, it is important that your company has an incident management and spill response plan to ensure that any incident that occurs is managed safely and in a way that minimizes damage to the site, the environment and the business,” explains Glen.
Determine the type of spill.
Spills are generally classified into three types:
- Water-based liquids or non-hazardous chemicals (eg coolants, paint, degreasers)
- hydrocarbons (eg oils, fuel, solvents)
- Hazardous chemicals (eg acids, corrosive liquids, cleaning chemicals)2
“Conduct a risk assessment to determine the types of hazardous substances used in the business and determine potential hazards that could lead to a contamination incident,” says Glen.
Size of possible spill.
According to Glen, considering the size of your largest likely spill is the best practice to ensure your job site has the right size spill kit. “A good rule of thumb is to select a spill kit that can absorb your maximum likely spill.”
So what is the right spill kit for your workplace?
- General Use Spill Kit (Blue Paper) – for all water-based fluids or non-hazardous chemicals; commonly used around high traffic areas and near machinery.
- Oil and Fuel Spill Kit (Yellow Console) – for hydrocarbon fluids such as motor fluid, hydraulic oil, turpentine; also suitable for marine spills.
- Chemical Spill Kit (Red Bucket) – for hazardous or unknown liquid; ideal for all places because the red color allows easy visual identification and location in case of emergency.2
To help with spills, the Stratex General Purpose Spill Kit Carry Bag offers a cost-effective solution for handling spills of any kind. Designed with convenience in mind, this essential spill kit comes in a durable, clip-on plastic bag that’s easy to grab and go. To protect against blood-borne pathogens, infectious diseases and biohazards, the Zeomed Biohazard Spill Kit offers a complete system of tools including a face mask, apron, gloves and more to manage spills.
Winc can help you with everything your workplace needs to work safely, with a wide range of spill kits and absorbent products or explore our full range of Health & Safety from well-known and trusted brands here.