Responding to a spill in an efficient and effective way might sound like little more than letting common sense take hold. In reality, however, an environmental spill unfolding in real time can easily lead to panic and costly mistakes. Effective training is thus essential for designated spill responders, so they can keep calm, deal with the incident and protect the environment and any personnel in the vicinity.
Precisely what steps are advisable in the event of an oil or chemical spill that may pollute the environment?
“In the first instance, if safe to do so, stop work,” states David Inman, a chartered environmental surveyor at Liverpool-based DIEM, a company that supports customers in environmental and energy management across the world. “Also, again if safe – and using the correct personal protective equipment [PPE] – stop any more of the material escaping. This might involve returning fallen containers to an upright position or closing valves.”
The second step is to contain the spill: stop it escaping or from entering a water course or any other potential pollution pathway.
“Absorbent pads supplied as part of a typical spill kit are one example of how to do this,” says Inman. “Any contaminated materials, including spill materials, must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Here, make use of an impermeable bag, again often supplied as part of spill kits. Make sure any container or bag used for hazardous waste is secure and will not leak.”
Spill kits come in various shapes and sizes. Each is typically for different types of spill materials and tends to have an absorption capacity.
“Finally, you will need to notify site management or the relevant authorities on the nature and details of the spill, which may be a statutory demand in some areas, or simply a requirement of the organisation,” reports Inman.
Of course, the best strategy regarding environmental spillage and incident management is prevention, driving the need to carefully store any potentially polluting materials.
“Make sure the material you are storing is secure,” says Inman. “Secondary containment, such as plant nappies or drip trays, may be necessary in some instances. If using these, always consult with the manufacturer regarding their correct use.”
Another key factor in spill management is drainage systems. So, when starting work on site for the first time, it is worth becoming familiar with the location of these drains.
“In some cases, the drains will be colour-coded,” says Inman. “The colours might indicate drains for surface water or foul water, for example. Check with the code with the local infrastructure owner. You might take the opportunity to map your own drains, using your own colour code. Similarly, some sites will have a drainage plan, showing where foul water and surface water drainage is located and where they flow to. If such a plan is not available, you may want to create one.”
As a further point of note, it is a requirement of ISO14001 to put any emergency arrangements to the test. “There are various ways you can do this,” explains Inman. “For instance, you can practice cleaning up a non-polluting material, or review any emergency plans as a desktop exercise. If you are discussing spill prevention, carrying out training or testing an emergency plan, it’s always good practice to keep a record of this activity.”
Sandbach-based Spillcraft is among a number of companies across the UK offering spill training courses, helping employees to develop the correct spill control knowledge that can benefit business.
Managing director Alistair Simpson advises: “To avoid contamination, it makes sense to have good-quality storage for materials. Plant and machinery should be well maintained; staff should be trained to identify hazards and avoid spillages; and infrastructure and working practices should be designed to minimise risks. Even so, things do go wrong.”
He continues: “We should be prepared because, if a spillage occurs, speed is of the essence. Seepage could result in drains and watercourses becoming polluted. Even if the spilt material is benign, the hazards it causes can multiply rapidly. If the contamination affects a walkway or vehicle route, it can quickly spread to other areas, increasing the numbers impacted, the overall level of risk and the costs of cleaning up.”
Being prepared is clearly not about being overly cautious, but being responsible, protecting people and protecting the environment.
“Organisations that haven’t adequately considered their spill response often compound the original problem,” says Simpson. “Imagine engine oil has leaked from a machine on to the shop floor. The floor is slippery and, with no effective cleaning materials to hand, the machine operator puts a piece of corrugated cardboard down to soak up some of the spillage while he or she completes the production run. The cardboard, lying on top of a greasy surface, hangs around and becomes a trip hazard.”
Put simply, cleaning up after a spill or leak is not complicated, providing swift action takes place and the necessary equipment is to hand.
“We frequently recommend the use of absorbent granules to deal with spills, but we know that granules can only do their job if they’re readily available,” says Simpson. “That’s why we also offer special poly carts for storing the granules. Easy to manoeuvre, the carts can carry a brush and shovel, and have room for a waste bag.
“Some organisations hardly give a second thought to spill management until they’re faced with a serious issue,” he continues. “A serious issue could be a spill that’s getting out of control or an injury that’s occurred when an employee encounters it. Both are avoidable. A bit of planning, the right tools for the task and some basic spill management know-how could be all that’s needed to avert a crisis.”
BOX: Informed decision making
Wokingham-based Compass Environmental has recently delivered its first ‘Tactical Spill Responder’ training course to delegates from CU Environmental, an accredited spill response company located in Gloucestershire. In collaboration with venue host, Tactical Hazmat, Compass spent nine months developing four complex spill scenarios. According to the company, delegates received a hazmat (hazardous materials) masterclass from Dr Sean Pearce and Kevin Miller, highlighting the dangers that different hazardous materials can pose to spill responders.
Compass managing director Stewart Ower says: “One of the key learning objectives we wanted delegates to take away was being able to recognise the limits of their own spill response capability in order to make informed decisions when assessing, planning and responding to a spillage involving hazmats. Responder safety has and will always be the number one priority when managing a spillage incident. The skills learnt on this course could make all the difference between delivering a safe response and one which ends up harming responders.”