Hazardous liquid spillage and incident management is vital to protect lives and the environment. When delivered professionally and appropriately, it can have a ‘triple action’ impact: reduced health risks, environmental damage and financial repercussions.
It is not difficult to see why so many organisations invest in environmental spillage and incident management training for their workforce: exposure to toxic substances without protective equipment can lead to a range of adverse effects, from skin irritation and respiratory issues to more severe complications.
Businesses failing to address such dangerous occurrences face serious financial repercussions, while clean-up costs can mount quickly, damaging operational budgets and impacting the bottom line.
While training is a proactive measure crucial for workplace safety and compliance with legal responsibilities, the significance of such training extends far beyond routine workplace practices. It also serves as a clear indication of high-level preparedness, empowering individuals to respond swiftly, decisively and safely in the face of unforeseen challenges.
SHOCK REACTION
As a company that provides spill responder training across the UK, Compass Environmental Consultancy finds there are three slides that often shock delegates when they attend its courses.
First is the damage spilt material can cause to the environment, along with the risk a spill can pose to the health and safety of site personnel.
Secondly is the financial impact, should a company be fined for such an incident – whether that is as a result of environmental pollution or non-compliance. And, finally, is the realisation how seemingly harmless everyday materials can be deadly when they enter the environment.
“Whether it’s cheesemakers, film studios or a port-a-loo company, there’s always an eye-opening conversation in the room as to how these three slides relate back to their own operations when they have to ask themselves the question: ‘Are we ready for a spill?’,” says the company’s business and marketing development manager Tom Ower.
“In the UK, where health & safety and environmental protection laws are amongst the strictest in the world, it’s of vital importance that any response is safe and effective – that’s where proper training pays its dividends.”
What does spill training involve? When receiving specialist training for spillages, he advises, delegates should leave the session having covered these areas:
An awareness of spillages and their impact on stakeholders An understanding of their own capabilities and any limitations to ensure any spill response activities are carried out safely Hands-on containment and clean-up techniques. Learning how to select the right spill kit materials, and the deployment techniques to bring about stability and containment to any spillage situation An appreciation of the pollution risk that operations can pose – whether in the high-risk nature of the materials they store and handle or site-specific factors, such as environmental setting.EMBEDDED CULTURE
“Spill training isn’t just a one-off session,” states Ower. “It is about embedding a culture of responsibility and readiness across your organisation. Businesses that invest in regular, practical training find that employees are not only more capable of handling incidents, but also more aware of potential risks, leading to fewer spills in the first place.”
Along with the obvious environmental risks that are often well publicised, a spillage can have far-reaching consequences for its stakeholders, both immediate and long-term.
“From eight-hour traffic diversions to £8 million fines, one incident can have a devastating commercial impact on a business and its local community.”
While the environmental and commercial risks from spillages are important, the most vital aspect is that no one gets hurt or injured by a spillage incident, or while they are responding to a spill, he points out. “This is always the main focus across all of our spill responder training courses: knowing the limitations of your spill response capabilities and when it is appropriate to escalate the incident to specialist accredited contractors,” he says.
PROACTIVE & PREVENTIVE
Simon O’Rourke, RSK raw spill response business manager and UK & Ireland Spill Association board member, also points to the serious hazards that spills and pollution events present to people and the environment – and how they can result in significant legal liabilities.
“A proactive and preventive approach towards spill response will best address these concerns. Most organisations do not have a spill response team on-site at all times, which means that it is crucial that those working the site – for example, a construction site, a factory or sites storing fuel and chemicals – are properly trained.
“Too often we have seen people washing oil or pollutants off hardstanding with inappropriate cleaning agents, which has the potential to spread the impact further and may cause more significant harm to sensitive receptors, such as watercourses.”
He recommends those on site should have knowledge of several key factors:
Where spills are most likely to occur and what the consequences could be How to mitigate the risk – e.g., moving hazardous substances to different areas of the site or erecting barriers How to act in an emergency to contain a spill until the appropriate response team is on-site Who to contact to respond to the spill, ensuring the correct response contractor for the type of incident and environment.“To achieve this, an organisation should have arrangements in place with an appropriately accredited and insured responder, such as ISAS [International Spill Accreditation Scheme],” states O’Rourke.
“Not only can they undertake an audit of the site to help identify hazards and prepare a mitigation strategy, they can also provide support, if an incident occurs, and train the teams who will be on-site in how to act in the event of a spill.
More often, our clients are proactively approaching us well in advance of site establishment, which we would definitely encourage.”
Appropriate preparation brings several benefits, he adds. “It dramatically reduces health and safety risks, environmental damage, costs and liabilities – and that begins with training.”
STANDARD BEARERS
Through its accreditation scheme, ISAS aims to set, maintain, measure and raise standards within the spill response industry.
The scheme is recognised and supported by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, The Scottish Environment Protection Agency, The Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.
The ISAS accreditation scheme offers a broad reach, covering a range of spill response and remediation activities across inland, shoreline and marine environments.
A number of its members provide their own in-house training to staff, while others provide training on a commercial basis.
In both cases, ISAS provides an accreditation service to review and approve training packages to ensure they meet prescribed learning outcomes and promote good practice, it states.
“Any company can submit its training, in complete confidence, for assessment and accreditation, should the training meet the ISAS standards.”
This accreditation lasts for three years and the ISAS assessor may choose to attend training sessions to assess content and delivery.