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Spill Containment Pallets And Their Uses
As well as providing drip and leak protection, Spill Pallets can also protect your drums and containers from the elements. They can range from simple pallet format trays to store your containers on to complete containment systems that can surround those containers. They are essentially a modified pallet that avoids the spillage of liquids onto a work area floor. They should be viewed as an essential part of your Health and Safety risk assessment. Spill Pallets may be known by various names such as bunded pallet, containment pallet, pallet bunds or even spill trays (though some of these terms are also used for other containment products so it can be confusing). Spill Pallets are manufactured in different sizes, materials, strengths and layouts to serve different purposes. They may also be manufactured to have the capability of additional features being added like covers, tarpaulins, racks and frames. Why do I need a Spill Containment Pallet? As has already been stated, if your company handles oil, chemicals, acids, or liquids you are vulnerable to spillage. This brings several risks to your business: • Loss of production time. • Breach of legal regulation and risk of prosecution, especially if pollution occurs. • Inability to deliver your Duty of Care to your employees. • The high cost of cleaning up the spill. • The cost of disposing of the cleaning materials needed to clean the spill. Whilst it is true that most pollution incidents are avoidable, spills will occur. The cost of containing spills is far cheaper than dealing with the consequences of an uncontained spill. It is possible to reduce the risk of spillage and ensure that spills are contained by ensuring that you have the correct storage equipment, personal protection equipment for your staff and on-site spill kits. With well trained and equipped staff, those routine spills do not have to become a major issue. What type of Spill Containment Pallet do I need? Spill Pallets need to be manufactured from materials that are inert to the effects of the liquid or material contained in the storage containers. If the pallets are moved about or are stored in areas where there is a lot of movement, then they should be robust enough to withstand damage from impact, environmental effects (like corrosion or rusting). They should also be light enough to be moved around by forklift. It may sound obvious, but their capacity should be matched to the container they support. This may range from drips to the entire contents of the container. Many spill pallets are now manufactured from polyethylene or other plastics. One of the most likely times that a spill can occur is when the container is being moved, possibly by forklift. There are different types of Spill pallets to protect against spillage in these situations. Spill Pallets are manufactured to store anything from one to multiple drums. There can be facilities to recycle spillages back into the container. Alternatively, if dealing with liquids that cannot be recycled into their parent containers, there are Spill Pallets available that allow you to remove the spillage for safe disposal. Whichever method is used to dispose of the spill, the pallets need to be regularly inspected and cleaned. It is true that a spill pallet is more expensive than regular pallets. For this reason it is important that you deal with a reputable supplier who will supply the correct solution for the problem that you are dealing with. Do I need any additional equipment? You may need additional equipment depending on the materials you are handling. If the liquid or substance is corrosive you will almost certainly need personal protective clothing. This might range from simple rubber gloves and wellingtons, right through to full body protective suits. You will be able to determine this by carrying out a full risk assessment and producing a material safety sheet. Another factor to be considered in the case of corrosive products is the possibility of a chemical reaction that needs halting or making safe. This may require the provision of a spill kit near to the potential hazard. It is also possible that you may not be able to contain the whole spill, or the spill may occur after the material has been removed from the storage container for use. This will also require the use of spill kits, but you may also require absorbents. If there are drains or gulleys you need drain covers or other barriers like absorbent pillows or booms. Conclusion Spill Pallets will help your company avoid the pitfalls of dealing with liquid or material spills. It is important to choose the correct Spill Pallet to deal with the materials you store. The use of Spill Pallets will reduce the cost of dealing with spills and possible pollution. The cost of buying the Spill Pallet will be offset by the savings achieved from not having the deal with the spills. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com About the Author: Andrew Coyne is from Spill Direct who produceSpill Containment Pallets. Spill Direct specialises in providing spill control and oil storage products online in the UK. It can supply a wide range of spill pallets and spill solutions, as well as cater for most of your spill control needs. |
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