In Australia, the various spill situations are attended to by Emergency Spill Response Teams. Further contamination must be prevented and cleaned up rapidly, especially when it comes to chemical spill hazards.
Lees Environmental joins other spill response teams by using spill kits. These kits are crucial to any establishment or individual dealing with or keeping liquids.
Harmful chemicals are the focus of many workplaces. These places view a spill kit as vital or useless.
Designed to suit a specific need, spill kits vary in shapes, sizes, and contents.
Our team manages and contains numerous spill response scenarios, most of which are discussed in this blog. An explanation of emergency spill kits is provided so that readers can comprehend the spill response procedures.
Spill Response Scenarios
So many spill response procedures are available for the response teams to work with. Adjustments can be made based on the material spilled, but some unifying details exist. Even if substances are considered safe, PPE should be used.
A great rule of thumb is that potentially hazardous spills often do not present as hazardous before a risk assessment is conducted.
General Spill
General spills pertain to the spills of liquids that are considered to need some clean-up, while not having an immediate effect on life or the environment. While the general risks of contamination and harm are negligence here, they are likely to not be too impactful.
This is so because hazardous substances are hard to define. As a rule, many effective spill control procedures declare that any spilled chemical should be treated as hazardous material until proven otherwise. This managed approach reduces the risks involved in the task.
Chemical Spill
Whenever a liquid chemical waste is spilled and contaminates a particular area, a chemical spill occurs. The decontamination process has to be ensured by a spill response team to guarantee further contamination isn’t caused by the liquids.
In cases with chemical spills, spill control materials are put to use. These materials assist with the decontamination of the site as well as the disposal of the liquid waste. Depending on the chemicals, other apparatus may be required.
Oil Spill
Oil spills are an unfortunate consequence of our global dependence on petroleum and other liquid fossil fuels. Any oil and gas company needs to have a comprehensive spill response plan to deal with the aftermath of oil extraction.
Both terrestrial and aquatic oil spills are possible. This implies that even a minor leak might result in tremendous ecological destruction. We must act as quickly as possible to safeguard the public and the ecosystem from additional damage.
Laboratory Chemical Spills
Spill kits for laboratories typically include absorbent materials which are effective in containing and cleaning up a chemical spill. Regardless of care taken, it is a known fact that spills will invariably happen.
For laboratories that regularly deal with hazardous chemical substances, contacting a waste disposal company regarding further emergency spill response strategies is recommended. Often, they can provide valuable instructional materials and assistance.
Radioactive Spills
The radioactive type of spill has its own set of problems. In addition, they represent a serious threat to people and the surrounding ecosystem. Radioactive spills can also contaminate the environment for thousands of years.
Notify trained personnel as soon as possible. The emergency kit for radioactive spills is specifically made to reduce the impact spill radius and encourage the decontamination of the site.
Biological Waste Spills
Biological waste spills occur whenever a biological substance escapes from a containment area, regardless of its size. Each type of biological spill has its own methods of management due to the various biological substances available.
Biological waste spills, in many ways, can be dealt with using the same strategies employed for chemical or radioactive spills. The distinguishing characteristic is the specific nature of the leaked substance. Lees Environmental, for instance, is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency of Australia, demonstrating their capabilities in safely managing potentially harmful spill scenarios.
Emergency Spill Kits
Emergency spill kits are an economical solution that allows a person or organisation to mitigate and control the spill cleanup procedure safely. They can contain various types of liquid hazardous wastes as well as more commonly spilled substances. As such, they serve as an invaluable part of the efficient cleanup procedures.
Any organisation that deals with liquid waste needs to ensure they have an appropriate emergency spill kit. This helps avert the spread of spills while waiting for the emergency spill response team to arrive. The availability of spill control supplies also significantly protects staff from the dangers associated with spill situations.
Every spill kit contains a number of specific items tailored to the certain cleanup processes it is designed for. Despite this, most kits have common fundamental components.
- Face Mask
- Protective Gloves
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Material Safety Data Sheets
- Respiratory Protection
- Protective Clothing
- Absorbent Powder
- Absorbent Pads
- Absorbent Socks
- Disposable Contaminated Waste Bags
- Alcohol Wipes
- Sealable Waste Containers of varying shapes and sizes
- Emergency Contact Numbers
Professional guidance is recommended from a waste management company such as Lees Environmental, especially if an individual or organisation expects to create a customised spill kit.
Who Needs To Own An Emergency Spill Kit?
Spill kits are a necessity for any commercial or industrial business dealing with toxic liquid chemicals and/or hazardous materials. These businesses should also know how to handle a spill should it occur.
Other owners of emergency spill kits include firefighters and paramedics classified as emergency responders. Although they do not regularly use them, having the equipment could be beneficial for unforeseen emergency spill situations.
Spill Response in Australia
Lees Environmental and similar companies are equipped to handle many different types of spills. Lees Environmental specialises in spill cleanup management through experts that ensure efficient waste disposal.
Businesses that employ the use of liquids should consider Lees Environmental’s counsel. Each business is always one step away from a spill incident. It’s imperative to have an effective self-contained emergency spill response plan ready to implement on site when needed.
