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Monday, 12 September 2011

Bite-Sized Facts About Spill Containment

By Leticia Jenkins


Due to the increase in chemical leakage incidents, investing in spill containment facilities and making it a part of work safety measures becomes a must for companies. After all, chemical spills are harmful to the health of employees as well to the environment. Further, having to deal with overflow clean-up is more expensive than having to spend in learning about spillage control or containment facilities installment.

Spill containment is the process of controlling spillage of oil, chemicals, or sewage and limiting them within the area the overflow has taken place. It can be done either by means of absorption or with the use of a drainage or barrier system.

During incidents of oil spillage, Polypropylene materials serve as good instruments for absorption. These materials come cheap and lightweight, and are available in sock forms that can easily be wind around barrels. Further, polypropylene is strong enough to withstand constant stress as it works to limit the overflow.

One more method for containing overflows is by using inflatable stoppers or pneumatic bladders. These equipment can be used as sewage containers in drainage outflows. In times of sewage or chemical leaks, air is mechanically pumped in inflatable bladders to clog drains and prevent chemicals from contaminating water sources underground.

However, it is not only in drainage and water ways that chemical overflows occur. There are also land-based spills recorded, but they are often more manageable than water way incidents. In cases of small spills, absorbent pads and socks sold in the market are already enough to fix the mess. For large spillage however, storage drums are the more effective alternatives.

Meanwhile, in contrast with the absorption method, controlling chemical spillage through a barrier system is viewed as a more environmentally friendly approach. This is due to the fact that inflatable stoppers and pneumatic bladders are reusable materials and that they allow the recycling of spilled chemicals.

Companies may need to spend for spill containment facilities but this is a great strategy in creating a safer work area. Through these facilities, companies are protected from the expensive clean-up costs of chemical spills and employees are also kept from the harmful effects of chemical exposure. Moreover, investing in this facility will not only benefit companies and their employees but also the environment.




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