How to Choose the Right Fuel & Oil Spill Kit?
There are so many spill kits out there. How do you choose the best one for your business? These are some suggestions to help you choose the best spill kits for oil for your industry.
When you work with fuel and oil, you prepare for everything, including spills. No matter how careful you are, spills can happen, and when they do, you have to be prepared to deal with them effectively and quickly. One of the most effective ways to do this is through a suitable spill kit.
Tips to Choose the Right Fuel & Oil Spill Kit
The right oil and fuel spill kit is part of an effective spill response plan for any company that works with fuel, oil, and other hazardous substances. Here are some things you need to consider when choosing the best spill kits for oil.
Choose the Right Spill Kit
The wrong spill kits for oil can be a bigger problem than the spill itself. Choosing a spill kit with absorbent pads designed to absorb only water when responding to an oil spill can be costly, not to mention dangerous. So, you first need to identify what kind of chemical spills you need to absorb.
- General purpose spill kits. These spill kits are for non-hazardous applications, including non-hazardous chemical spills. You can find them in schools, farms, shopping complexes, milk factories, wineries, etc.
- Oil and Fuel spill kits. These spill kits deal with oil spills like hydrocarbon spills like fuels, machinery oil, etc. These spill kits for oil can usually work both on land and water.
- Hazchem spill kits. These spill kits usually refer to hazardous chemicals and can handle chemicals with a PH between 4 and 10.
Related: 10 Helpful Tips – Which fuel and oil and Absorbent Mat You Should Have?
Conduct Training and Drills
When deciding which spill kit to purchase, you must educate your staff on deploying them when needed. Simply put, you must teach them how to use them if needed. It will help if you create easy-to-understand instructions for the spill kit and attach them to the kits.
In addition, you should conduct training for everybody who works or comes into contact with chemicals and hazardous materials. When running the training sessions, you should at least cover the following:
- Who should they notify in case of a spill
- Who is in charge of what type of task during the spill response
- Spill kit contents and how to use them
- Procedure on how to clean up and spill containment
- Waste disposal
Have a Material Safety Data Sheet Ready
When working with chemicals, ensure you have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) ready. Chemical manufacturers and vendors use the MSDS to tell hazard information to its users. The information includes the following:
- Product name and manufacturer
- Chemical composition
- Hazard identification or what could potentially happen if someone gets in contact with the product
- First Aid Procedures
- Describes the necessary PPE equipment and appropriate spill kit needed
In addition to safety, you can use the information in the MSDS to help you decide which spill kit to purchase.
Use the Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment
Use personal protective equipment (gloves, face shields, eye shields etc.) when handling hazardous spills because it protects you from injuries. Spill kits usually don’t include Personal Protective Equipment(PPE), but there’s usually space to put it. To choose the right PPE you need for the spill kit, consult chemical MSDS for the type of PPE you need. Or you can ask your spill skit supplier for advice on what types of PPEs are available.
Ensure Proper Storage and Maintenance of the Oil Spill Kits
Spill kits can only work effectively to clean chemicals, oil, etc., if they are complete and not damaged. You must regularly inspect and maintain your spill kit and replace all missing items immediately. This way, you can be assured it will work how it’s supposed to should a spill happen.
Keep your spill kits in an area where your staff can easily see and access them should the need arise.
Related: 7 Simple ( But Important ) Things to Remember About Oxidising Agent Storage Cabinet
Safely Deal with Spills
Having the correct spill kits for oil is essential for workplace safety and compliance. With these tips, you should be able to pick the correct spill kits for oil and other spills for your unique needs.
Need help in choosing the correct spill kits? Contact us today; we’re happy to help.