Having absorbent spill kits available so people can quickly respond to potentially hazardous spills is an important part of any facilities overall safety strategy. Whether the products used in a given area are directly dangerous like acid or they just cause an unsafe environment like a slippery floor or increased risk of fire it is important to have a good spill kit on hand. Not only do you need the kit to be easily accessible, however, but you also need to have people trained on how to use it so they can quickly clean the area.
In some facilities there will be a team which is specifically tasked with responding to spills. Having a spill kit in the area can either be used by that team when they arrive at the scene of a spill, or it can be used to help contain the spill until the team arrives. With these types of situations it is not so much important how the responsibility is split up, but that everyone knows exactly who is responsible for which tasks.
When people are not trained on how and when to use absorbent spill kits it can actually make a situation even more dangerous for everyone involved. In urgent situations such as those where a chemical is spilled each person will react a little differently. Some will immediately evacuate the area. Others will attempt to clean up the spill right away, and still others will try to contact someone to get assistance. Each of these responses may be the right thing to do, but it must be done according to a pre-established safety plan.
Creating a Spill Plan
Any facility which works with products that might be spilled should have a detailed plan so everyone knows exactly what they are supposed to do. The individual who is responsible for the plan should also work to ensure everyone is well trained on their role in these situations. When people don’t respond properly it can often make the danger much worse than if they had done nothing at all so a good training program is as essential as having the absorbent spill kits on hand.
The type of absorbent spill kits you want to have available will depend on what types of products you are working within a given area. Some areas, for example, can have just a general all-purpose spill kit to address almost every type of spill. Others will need one which is designed for oil, gas or other petroleum based products. Some facilities even need multiple different absorbent spill kits because they work with a wide variety of different products.
Make sure you have the right kits in the right areas so that people can perform the tasks they were trained to do in the event of this type of emergency. Good training and having the right tools is essential for any type of safety program to be effective. In situations where potentially dangerous products are at risk of being spilled you need to take every measure possible to ensure everyone is ready to do what they are supposed to quickly and efficiently.
Additional Resources
- Emergency Spill Cleanup & Containment– creativesafetysupply.com
- Spill Kits 101– blog.creativesafetysupply.com
- A Guide to Facility Spill Kits– realsafety.org
- Spill Prevention and Cleanup– creativesafetypublishing.com
- Hazardous Chemical Cleanup: Steps for Dealing with a Spill– safetyblognews.com
- Safety Drill Tips for the Workplace– aislemarking.com
- An Introduction to GHS for Your Facility– iecieeechallenge.org
- Improving Safety with Visual Communication– floortape101.com
- Understanding Safety Colors– bridge-to-safety.com