Which absorbents should I use on spills?

Over the years we’ve witnessed businesses using a wide variety of methods to clean up spillages on site. From cardboard to paper towels, to floors covered in sawdust or anything available to absorb spills.

Using incorrect materials to clean up spills can lead to several serious consequences:

Health Risks: Using the wrong materials can expose individuals to harmful chemicals, leading to skin burns, respiratory issues, or other health problems.

Environmental Damage: Improper clean up can result in chemicals contaminating soil, water, or air, causing long-term environmental harm.

Increased Hazard: Some materials can react dangerously with spilled substances, potentially increasing the risk of fires, explosions, or the release of toxic gases.

Ineffective Clean up: Using incorrect materials might not fully neutralize or absorb the spill, leaving residues that continue to pose risk, including slip risks.

Regulatory Penalties: Failing to follow proper clean up procedures can result in fines and legal consequences for non-compliance with environmental regulations.

Increased Costs: Using lots of the wrong material can drive up costs, including waste and disposal.

What are the best absorbents?

The range of absorbents available are vast so companies often rely on what they know, but is this the most effective solution? Having a basic understanding of absorbents may pay dividends in saving time and costs of cleaning spills.

The best absorbent will depend on your liquids. Some absorbents are incompatible with certain absorbents so your first point of call should be to check the safety data sheets of your fluids on site. Section 6 of the safety data sheet should detail the manufacturers recommendation for managing accidental releases, including compatible cleaning materials. 

Once you have the guidance from the SDS sheet you can look into the best absorbent type for your spill. 

• Absorbent mats (also known as pads) can be used in singles for small drips and leaks, or used in multiples for a larger spill clean.
• Absorbent socks (also known as mini booms) are ideal for containing spills. Socks will absorb liquid but are great for using around a spill to stop it spreading. Socks can also be used around machinery, pipes or difficult areas. 
• Drum Toppers - if you experience spills, drips and leaks from dispensing liquid to and from 205ltr drums, the drum topper sits inside the lip of the drum to catch unwanted releases. 
• Absorbent Rolls. There are the same absorbent as mats but one continuous roll. They are perforated lengthways and width ways making them ideal for tearing off exactly how much you need for a small leak to larger spills.
• Loose absorbents. Many businesses have replied on loose absorbents for many years and in many situations may provide the most effective absorbency for liquids such as paint. Loose absorbents can be messy to clean up and heavy causing additional waste disposal costs, we would therefore suggest if you use loose absorbents to look into the other options as you may save time and costs at trying alternative methods.

We have summarised everything you should need for absorbents on our Absorbent User guide. Free to download, this guide may come in useful for future reference. It is also ideal for putting up on notice boards around your site or near spill kits and spill stations to remind your team the best options for cleaning spills.

How can I make sure my team are using the correct absorbents?

With some understanding of absorbents you can make an informed decision on the type and colour of absorbent you need for your risks. Its common to require a range of absorbents on one site for the different risks posed. 

As well as having the equipment readily available, training your teams in how to use absorbents will not only provide a quicker more effective clean, you will also reduce costs as operators will be more efficient in containing and controlling a spill for your business. We would suggest operators should understand spill risks, absorbent types and correct selection, and how to respond to a spill. All of these are covered in our essential spill response training.

Looking for additional support?

If you are still unsure on the best solution for your site, please get in touch with the team. We can discuss your requirements and make some suggestions for options you may want to explore.