When it comes to managing spill risks, stopping a potential spill at source would be the ideal...
We've determined the potential sources of pollution and discovered the pathways they may take, we now need to look at where any contaminants may end up - the receptor - and what adverse affects this may cause. 
Some examples of receptors are;
- Controlled waterways
- Groundwater
- Vegetation
- Aquatic Life
- Neighbours
- Air
Once we've determined where the pathways may lead to, we can again use this information to determine our control measures, some receptors may be more sensitive than others and require more robust control measures e.g. if you're particularly close to a site of special scientific interest, however it is crucial we do everything in our power to protect all potential receptors from pollution.
Ideally we're able to manage pollutants as close to the source as possible, but if we fail in breaking the links between source-pathway-receptor we should have a remediation plan in place to minimise any damaged cause, this may require specialist equipment or support. If so this should be included in your pollution incident response plan (PIRP).
Depending on the pollutant a variety of remediation methods may be used such as;
- Mechanical Recovery and Treatment
- Diking
- Water Booms
- In-situ Chemical Treatment
- Dredging
- Filtration
- Plus many more
If you become aware of a pollution incident you should contact the relevant authorities.
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Spillcraft are here to help
We hope you have found our articles on the source, pathway, receptor model for managing spill risks useful. We would be grateful of any feedback
If you are still unsure how to assess your site for spill risks, please do not hesitate to contact the team and we can arrange for someone to come to you and carry out a free spill survey with you, showing you hazards to look out for and making suggestions for improvements. Call our team on 01606 352 679 with any queries.
