Stopping spills at source

When it comes to managing spill risks, stopping a potential spill at source would be the ideal situation. 

However, in reality accidents do happen, and spills take place, so its important you are prepared. Considering the potential source for spills on site, doesn't have to result in lots of additional work for your health and safety teams some simple steps can be taken to ensure your compliance, including:

• Thorough risk assessments of fluids on site.
• Regular inspections and maintenance procedures.
• Investing in high quality, durable solutions such as spill pallets and bunding.
• Staff training when moving or decanting fluids on site.

Companies can significantly reduce the risk of spills occurring in the first place, with some of these simple ideas.

By taking proactive steps to address potential spill sources, companies can demonstrate their commitment and advocacy to protect the environment and ensure a safer work environment for all employees. 

Spill prevention is better than cure

Identifying the sources of your spills on site will be one of the first steps in your spill response planning. 

Firstly consider what potential pollutants are on site, remember it's not just the obviously hazardous materials (chemicals, oils, fuel, waste effluent, etc) but also materials such as; cleaning detergents, foodstuff, slurry, sludge, firewater runoff and many others.

Not only do you need to consider the liquids you have on site, you also need to assess the containers they are stored in, and any processes these liquids undertake, and assess the risk of a release occurring. 

Sources of a spill will vary depending on a number of factors including: your industry, liquids, procedures, location, temperature and many more. We encourage you to look at the fluids you have and what processes they go through to identify potential risks.

Some examples of spill risks include:

• Delivery and use of materials.
• Overfilling containment vessels.
• Plant or equipment failure.
• Containment failure.
• Fires, explosions.
• Firefighting water run-off.
• Wrong sewer/pipe connections.

Use the hierarchy of control measures

Once we've established the potential sources of spills on site we can put into place plans to reduce the likelihood of these happening, we would suggest utilising the hierarchy of control measures in order to use the most effective methods. (see image below)

By removing liquids from site we eliminate the threat of spillages entirely, however this isn't always a practical solution, so we must move down the hierarchy to consider alternative measures. Some control measures we can implement may include:

• Reducing quantities of stored liquid.
• Replacing chemicals with less hazardous material.
• Secondary containment systems.
• Tertiary containment plans.
• Valves and sensors.
• Staff training.
• Reviewing operating procedures

Ensure your spill risks and control methods are documented in your spill response plan and reviewed regularly.

What else can I do to reduce spill risks?

Identifying and controlling the source of spills is a great first step in preventing harm to people and the environment. If you cannot contain spills or an accident occurs outside of your risk assessment there are still steps you can take to prevent pollution. Considering pathways and receptors is the next stage in the spill response plan so you can read more in our protecting pathways and receptor articles.

If you are unsure how to complete your risk assessment for spills or would like guidance on your specific site, why not utilise our free spill survey. One of the Spillcraft team can come to your site and consider the potential hazards with you, providing you with suggestions for where improvements could be made.