3 Steps to Sediment Control | Environmental Safety Equipment
Effective sediment control needs forethought and planning. There are many laws and regulations in place to protect the environment in Australia. Often, non-compliance is an offence that can lead to hefty penalties.
Sediment control includes:
- Managing the stormwater within your site boundaries;
- Identifying and reducing any potential contaminants for stormwater;
- Discharging the stormwater according to site license conditions and legislation.
All owners, managers and supervisors need to be clear about environmental obligations and their responsibilities. The way you run your site can have a major impact on the amount of stormwater pollution.
The team at Ecospill are your environmental safety equipment experts. In this article, we share 3 steps to sediment control and how we can help you.
STEPS TO SEDIMENT CONTROL
Stormwater risks will differ across industries and applications. The general steps to effective sediment control are as follows:
STEP ONE – STORMWATER RISK ASSESSMENT
A typical stormwater risk assessment involves four phases:
- Identification of stormwater hazards;
- Assessment of the severity of the identified stormwater hazards;
- Evaluation of the probability of the stormwater hazards;
- A combination of these findings to identify the overall level of risk and begin working on mitigation.
STEP TWO – STORMWATER RISK MITIGATION
The second step is to identify solutions to mitigate the risks identified in step one. This step involves equipping your workplace for effective sediment control in a way that best suits the nature of your site and operations. For example, coir logs are an ideal product to control water flow. They can be used for bank protection and erosion support. Drain filters are ideal for work sites that use oil, fuel or other harmful substances.
This step to sediment control also involves staff training on stormwater risk mitigation, equipment deployment and their responsibilities.
STEP THREE – REGULAR MAINTENANCE
You must monitor your sediment control methods. Sediment control equipment also needs to be maintained and/or replaced as necessary. Sediment control is not a ‘set and forget’. Environmentally responsible businesses have procedures in place to ensure everything is working effectively.
ECOSPILL SEDIMENT CONTROL EQUIPMENT
Ecospill offers various solutions that are available for different applications and industries.
COIR LOGS
Coir logs are the ultimate in soil erosion and protection applications. Ecospill coir logs are made from organic coir fibre. Organic coir fibre is heavy and densely packed coconut fibre. It is 100% natural and biodegradable. Coir logs help control water flow, soil amendment, bank protection, steep batter protection, erosion support and re-vegetation.
DRAIN FILTERS
Our drain filters are practical and cost-effective devices that assist in the management of site stormwater. They capture oil, fuel, soil and other debris that would have otherwise been washed from your site into the stormwater drain. These unique filters sit in your storm drains. They allow rainwater to pass through but capture any remnant oils, greases, or fuels.
DRAIN SEALS
Ecospill drain seals are made from solid, tacky polyurethane. They deliver a tough, durable seal whenever and wherever you need drain protection. Since they are tacky on both sides, you can use either side to form a tight seal to block out spilt substances.
SILT BAGS
Silt bags make great drain protection barriers and allow for water flow control. Made from reinforced mesh fabric, and fitted with lifting handles these silt bags are cost-effective and easy to use! All you need to do is fill them with gravel or sand and then deploy. Our silt bags are fitted with lifting handles for ease of handling.
SILT CURTAINS
These silt curtains make controlling sediment from construction sites, dredging, decanting and toxic algae simple. They are made from tough Geofabric and are fitted with ballast chains, ready to deploy.
SILT FENCE
Our silt fences prevent contamination of exposed soils and construction site borders. They feature high tensile strength which allows water damming to the full height of the silt fence. They trap sediment but filter through water transmission. Ecospill silt fences are built tough. They are made from heavy-duty polypropylene tape yarns to retain their structural integrity under typical construction stresses.
SILT SOCKS
Silt socks are applied around drains and gutters. They capture the bulk of sediment before it goes down the drain. On dry land, they can prevent loose topsoil from washing away during heavy rains. Once their job is done, they can be quickly and easily emptied, to be stored away until they are needed next.
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER
At Ecospill, we’re here to help you with expert advice and quality products. We aim to save you time and money and help you meet your environmental obligations with ease. Our team takes the pressure out of environmental compliance.
Our consultants have extensive experience and offer onsite visits. We can recommend simple, efficient and affordable solutions to minimise your environmental impact and ensure compliance.
Contact us to find out more.