23 Nov
Uncategorized

Keep Spills Far Away When You’re Driving Trucks!

Australia would come to a standstill without trucks, and this is just a fact. So, when you hit the road, you want to transport your cargo safely, without interruptions from something as dangerous as spills. This is why many truck drivers consider taking spill kits along with them for the ride.

Common Spills on the Road

Break Downs:

your truck breaks down and requires immediate repairs, you can easily cause a mess for yourself and the environment due to oil and hydraulic fluid to name a few. 

Hydraulic Issues: 

Damaged hydraulic hoses can cause messes that include leaks to larger spills and it’s important to be able to stop a spill and address the hazard safety as these liquids are not good for people or the environment. This can be done with the appropriate spill kit.

Load Spills:

Whatever you may be transporting, it’s likely that you’re going to see a spill happen whether it be inside your truck or outside your truck. If you want to clean up these spills anywhere, a spill kit in your truck can come in handy.

Driving Accidents:

When you drive for a living, you know that accidents happen no matter how hard you try, and in the event of an accident happening, you can see great risks occurring with your truck and other vehicles on the road due to spilled chemicals. Mediate this risk with spill kits. 

Spill Kits Reduce Response Time

Essentially, spill kits give you all the things you need to handle spills as soon as they occur, and this allows you to remain safe no matter where in Australia you might be. Essentially just having a spill kit on hand gives you a great safety net and is half the battle already fought. From there the kit contains things such as personal protective equipment like gloves, and goggles to keep you safe, absorbents and booms to contain the spill and disposable bags to hold the chemical that has been absorbed in the absorbent so it can be disposed of in a safe manner. Altogether, the kit is made to make life easier when things go wrong, and although as a truck driver you aren’t always legally in charge of your cargo, truck and any leaks and spills that may happen, it’s a moral consideration towards the Australian environment and your fellow drivers on the road, to manage hazards yourself, without needing to call emergency services. 

Spill Station Can Help!

When unexpected things happen, you will want to get your spill kits from a provider who you can put your trust in, to only provide you with the best, every single time. This is why Aussie vehicle operators enjoy working with Spill Station Australia. 

Spill Station is an Australian distributor of safety solutions for businesses all over the country, they pride themselves in making safety easier to manage, and this goes for truck drivers too, with their vehicle safe 20-30L spill kits, made to be small and transportable in bags. 

23 Nov
Uncategorized

Need Flammable Cabinets? Here Are Some Tips to Get It Right

Flammable cabinets have been around for ages and their use case is pretty simple: they protect your workers and the environment from flammable and dangerous chemicals you may need to store on site. 

But if you’re new to flammable liquid cabinets, it’s smart to get all the tips you need before you get started!  

Tip 1. Know Your Chemicals

You’ll need to audit your workplace to know which chemicals you have in your lab so you are aware of what needs to be stored in the cabinets. Form here, there are different types of cabinets to choose from as below: 

Flammables

Flammable cabinets come in yellow and are the most general option for your needs. They hold most classes of flammable liquids. But you should be careful to keep different chemical classes away from each other to prevent non compatible materials from mingling. 

Corrosives & Acids

When storing things like acetone or hydrochloric acid corrosive storage cabinets are helpful and made to withstand corrosion with steel and polyethylene options on the market. Often corrosive safety cabinets come in blue. 

Other Materials

If you have paints and pesticides or lab chemicals, you may need to mix and match flammable cabinet types to make it match your unique needs. Some common colours include green for pesticides and insecticides and red for paints and inks and white can be used for toxic chemicals.

Tip 2. How Much Space Do You Have?

The size of space you need to set aside for your flammable cabinets depends on the amount of liquids you want to store and the space you have, as the cabinets need to be stored away from ignition points and staff activity areas. 

So, let’s look at the options:             

Undercounter Cabinet: 

These are made to fit seamlessly with your other cabinetry in a seamless manner and they can come with some cool features such as a toe kick space, adjustable shelves, locking mechanisms and a sump.                                                                                      

Stackable Cabinet: 

If you have limited space and its safe to do so, some flammable cabinet types can be stacked on top of each other (depending on the class of the liquids), and these come with the bonus of saving space and keeping all your hazards together. 

Floor Cabinet:

These take up the most space but are also the safest as they can be stored far from hazards. These come with adjustable shelves, levelling feet and a liquid tight sump to name a few extras.  

Tip 3. Where Do You Buy From?

In Australia, when you buy a flammable cabinet, the dream is to buy one that is already compliant, has the right signage, comes with all the right extras and is easy to use. This is why Aussie companies trust Spill Station Australia for their flammable cabinets and their overall workplace safety. Regardless of if you just need to buy the flammable cabinets or if you need guidance with things like risk assessments and workplace audits, you can always count on Spill Station!

17 Oct
Uncategorized

Why Spill Kits Are Non-Negotiable Around Oil

Many Australian workplaces use oil in their workplaces. This can be engine oil on the factory floor, oil for vehicles or even oil in remote sites. No matter how much oil you use, or where, it’s important that you have spill kits on hand to clean up any accidents that occur.  

Oil spills are dangerous because they can cause fires, property damage, environmental damage and damage to the environment as well.

Oil, sometimes known as petroleum, is a hydrocarbon chemical substance that is incompatible with water. Usually in workplaces you can find oil in the form of fuels, or as a lubrication product. With this in mind, let’s explain why oil spill kits are necessary in Australian workplaces.

Issues That Come with Oil Spills

When you work with oil in the workplace, there are some chemical hazards that include the following:

Fires or explosions:  You should never have ignition sources near oil handling areas, as oil can be ignited when matches are close to oil leaks or if there are vapours in the air.

Environmental pollution: Spilled oil can cause pollution to waterways, groundwater supplies and seep into drains to cause permanent damage.

Human harm: Oil should never make contact with the eyes or the skin, this is why anyone responding to oil leaks needs to  wear PPE (personal protective equipment). 

Asphyxiation: When leaked into the air, oil can emit hazardous vapours, these can cause health issues if inhaled, but it’s worse if oil is burnt as these fumes are dangerous to human lungs and cause respiratory issues and chronic illnesses.

Use An Oil Spill Kit to Stay Safe

Legally speaking, it’s a necessity in Australia to carry spill kits where there is a risk of oil spills occurring. General purpose spill kits or chemical spill kits aren’t effective enough when it comes to oil and fuel spills, whether on water or land. So, to keep your workplace safe, you need to conduct risk assessments and implement the right number of spill kits to keep you safe.

If you need help finding compliant spill kits, you can contact Spill Station, the leading distributor of oil spill kits in Australia. With their help, you can remain compliant with less stress on your end and stay on top of maintenance, installation and audits of safety equipment. 

Oil Spill Prevention

If you want to prevent oil spills, there are some steps you can take:

  • Only let trained staff handle oil in your workplace.
  • Ensure oil drums are inspected regularly.
  • Use bunding to keep oil from spilling.
  • Don’t overstock chemicals as these increase spill risks.

If you keep these steps in mind, you may be able to prevent spills from occurring. Prevention is always ideal, but in the case that something goes wrong, a spill kit is the front line manner to keep your workplace, your workers, facilities and the environment as safe as possible.

17 Oct
Uncategorized

Learn Flammable Cabinet Safety Rules

A flammable cabinet is a safety measure that is intended to reduce risk for your workplace. It’s designed to hold your hazardous liquids away from where they can be easily accessed in flame proof cabinets that are designed to contain spills, protect from fires and keep unwanted people out.  

But for flammable storage cabinets to work correctly, you need to understand the rules that are put in place by the Australian law to keep everyone as safe as possible. 

Rule No. 1 Get Lighting & Signage Right

When you store a flammable cabinet in Australia there are some general rules, and one is that hazardous chemicals must be stored within cabinets with the right warning placards and safety signs. It’s a requirement that all signs and markings are completely visible at a glance, and when the cabinet doors are closed. 

Some things to remember:

  • Make sure warning signs, placards and flammable cabinet labels are not covered. This includes making sure fabric such as uniforms are not draped over the cabinets, and things are not left in front of the cabinet such as sheet metal or forklifts. 
  • Missing, scratched or damaged signs need to be replaced as soon as possible. 
  • Lighting must be safe and functional, so make sure there is enough lighting to read the signs and lighting must not be sparking.  

Rule No. 2 Keep the Area Clean

Make sure that the area around your flammable liquid cabinet is clean and don’t allow any misuse of the space. 

The following is the minimum that must be done: 

  • Don’t let workers carry out maintenance or repair work near the cabinets. Sparks and flames need to be kept away from the cabinet, so things like welding, cutting or soldering can be hazardous.
  • Never let people climb into the cabinet.
  • Restrict general and vehicle access to the area, unless there are crash bollards and other impact protection types around the cabinet.
  • Make sure cleaners, contractors and other personnel keep incompatible chemicals and ignition sources away from the area near flammable cabinets. 
  • There should be a clear space between the flammable cabinet, the first aid kit, as well as the emergency shower and eyewash stations. 

Rule No 3. Maintenance Matters

Flammable cabinets need maintenance, and this will help keep the cabinets lasting longer and remaining safe and compliant. 

You should be undertaking the following regularly:

  • Inspect the inside and outside of the cabinet for dents, damage, spills or corrosion.
  • Follow up if incidents involving the cabinet aren’t recorded.
  • Inspect the containers inside the cabinet for signs of deterioration. 
  • Check working parts to make sure they’re optimal.

Rule No 4. Go With Spill Station 

When you need help with your spill station maintenance, understanding and installation, you need to contact Spill Station. In the safety industry for many years now, Spill Station Is Australia’s choice for everything to do with workplace safety. 

If you need help with understanding the use of flammable cabinets, contact them now.

21 Sep
Uncategorized

Everything That Should Be in Your Safety Shower Operating Procedure

The act of buying and installing a safety shower is just one small step in the overall safety process. The next step is to have a clear and practical operating procedure so your staff are aware of how the safety shower and eyewash station should be used and maintained. 

These procedures must be made with the requirements of the Australian Standards and the instructions provided by the manufacturers of the safety equipment itself. 

So if you need further guidance, read on and find out some of the important things that need to be in your operating procedures. 

What To Put in Your Operating Procedures

Before you even start researching your operating procedures, make sure that they are easy to read, so workers can understand them quickly. 

Mandatory Inspections and Testing

One of the requirements in the Australian Standard (AS4775-2007) is that emergency eyewash and shower equipment has to be regularly maintained and tested, to make sure that it is always ready to be used and safe to use in the event of an emergency.

So, you should add the following into your operating procedures: 

  • Weekly inspection checklist that contains the names and signatures of supervisors and workers. 
  • The workflow of a weekly inspection, which includes things like. 
    • Check area for obstructions. 
    • Ensure the area is visible and the lighting is working.
    • Activate the unit.
    • Allow the unit to flow for a set amount of time.
    • Inspect pipes and showerheads.
  • Actions that must be taken if anything is damaged such as reporting. 
  •  The fact that the shower should be tested and tagged for compliance once a year. 

Housekeeping and General Care

General care and housekeeping matter as much as maintenance, here are the minimum inclusions you should have in the manual. 

  • Keeping work areas neat and free of debris and obstructions. 
  • Ensuring the showers and eyewash stations are not being misused. 
  • Don’t bring hazardous materials into work areas without prior authorisation. 
  • Reporting damage to managers and supervisors quickly.

Emergency Use Procedures

Workers need to understand how they should use safety showers. It’s not a good idea to simply show them once during orientation and training and consider the job done. The actual process should be documented so that people can refer to it during things like immersion training, inductions and more. 

Some of the things your operating procedures should cover include instructions on the following: 

  • How to access the shower and eyewash station. 
  • How to activate the unit. 
  • Reminders to remove clothes and personal effects.
  • How the head and body should be positioned.
  • What flushing and treatment times are.
  •  How to correctly assist a co-worker.
  • Notifying coworkers and emergency services if needed.
  •  Correct clean up and waste disposal. 

Need Guidance?

It can be hard to get safety procedures right. If you’re worried about getting it wrong, Spill Station is here to help. A distributor of safety equipment, Spill Station are industry leaders in conducting training and performing audits of workplaces, to help you remain compliant with ease.

21 Sep
Uncategorized

Get Robust Safety for Your Chemical Storage

Any company that stores or handles hazardous materials and liquids in Australia are required to keep their workers and the environment safe from any damage that could occur due to these materials. 

Chemical spill kits, sometimes known as Hazchem spill kits, give you all the tools you need to keep your workplace safe and compliant against spills in the workplace. But they aren’t a straightforward safety aspect to wrap your head around, so here’s how to get it right. 

What You Need To Know Before Buying

1. What Fluids Are on Site? 

The best spill kit for your unique needs is dependent on a few different factors, as outlined below. 

  • What liquids does your company work with?
  • How large have previous spills been?
  • Where are these liquids stored? 

These answers are necessary so you can understand which type of spill kit you need and its size as well as the location of the kit. 

2. Understand Your Legal Obligations 

It’s part of Australian law under the Australian Standards for workplace safety that you need to keep your workplace safe against spills. These standards point out the following:

  • You must correctly mark all hazardous chemicals.
  • You must keep records of all the hazardous chemicals on the premises. 
  • Provide safety related training and education to relevant employees.
  • Contain the risk of spills of chemicals.
  • Have a robust spill prevention plan, including appropriate solutions and personal protective equipment.

If you’re unable to remain compliant, you can face fines, penalties and loss of brand reputation.  

3. Consider Classifications

Before you consider a spill kit, you need to know the classifications of the chemicals to know which absorbent you need in your spill kit. Usually hazardous chemicals can be grouped into two classifications, which are:

  • Nonaggressive chemicals such as coolants and agricultural chemicals.
  • Aggressive chemicals such as strong acids/alkalis and chlorine, nitric acids and more. 

This is important as using the wrong absorbent in the case of a hazardous spill can lead to larger issues such as dangerous fumes and fire.

4. Know The Quantities 

You’ve got to make sure your spill kit is the right size to handle the biggest possible spill at your company. You can match this up by documenting the types of spills you could encounter and the largest quantities of liquids and try to keep it consistent with the spill kits you have. 

You should also endeavour to ensure your spill kits are well maintained, so they’re always ready to go, and this will take a maintenance routine to be added to your safety management plan. Many spill kit suppliers in Australia can help you understand your inspection and maintenance requirements if you need further support.

5. Choose The Right Supplier

When it comes time to order your spill kits, you should choose a distributor right here in Australia that can help you navigate the confusing world of workplace safety and provide support as needed. This is where Spill Station comes in, with their selection of the best chemical spill kits in Australia.

29 Aug
Uncategorized

We’re Going to Answer Your Most Asked Questions About Bunding

If you’ve recently taken a look at your workplace’s safety measures and realised bunding may solve a lot of your spill containment needs, we don’t blame you. It’s a common choice among Australian businesses for a reason.

But getting started with a new safety measure can be daunting, so we have all the answers to your questions right here. 

How is A Bund Useful? 

In simple terms, bunding is a great approach to safely prevent spills in workplaces. So when you use a bund, you’re pretty much preventing a dangerous spill from happening, and these spills then reduce the amount of time spent being productive at work, so it’s better for your workplace’s functionality, safety and the environment if you prevent spills. 

How Many Types of Bunds Are There? 

Yes there are, commonly there are two main categories of bunds. One is permanent and the other is portable. 

Permanent bunds are attached to the ground and are found near permanent tanks, near doorways and the like. They can be made of hard plastics, concrete and more. 

Portable bunds are made from a geomembrane fabric or polyethylene form, and are usually able to be moved easily, so are portable and can be used in the field. 

How Do You Know Which Bund Type To Use?

There’s no straightforward way to answer this question as the type of bunding you use will depend on a lot of factors. This includes the type, quantity and location of liquids you hold, and the overall risk of spills that can occur during handling and moving these chemicals. To know the exact needs your workplace has, and how these factors come into play, you will need a risk assessment, and this is something we can help with at Spill Station, Australia. 

How Do I Know How Much Bunding Goes Where? 

This is how you know: keep in mind that the exact size of the bund you will need all depends on the volume held in your primary storage containers and the liquid present. The requirements set forward by the Australian government cite that the bunding capacity should be at least 110% of the largest container or 25% of the total stored on the bund, of these you should choose whichever one is greater. 

How Do You Remain Compliant? 

Speaking in general terms (as there’s more to compliancy than just this), your bund needs to be sturdy, chemically resistant, fire resistant and capable of allowing the spills that occur to be cleaned safely. 

Does Bunding Need Maintenance? 

Yes. If the bund is torn or leaks, it can cause spills to compound or cause a dangerous workplace. So it’s vital to constantly maintain and clean the bund between uses. Although this sounds like a lot of work, it’s worth it to prolong the life of your bunds and your workplace. 

What If I don’t Need Bunding?

There’s no need to guess, whether or not you need a bund will come down to a risk assessment. This tells you in general terms which safety precautions you should have in place according to the unique risks in your workplace already. From here you can either reduce the risk or use safety precautions like bunds. 

If all this sounds confusing, we don’t blame you. If you need help, Spill Station can aid you in risk assessments and all your needs for bunding in Australia

29 Aug
Uncategorized

Answering All Your Burning Spill Kit Questions

When your workplace is looking into using spill kits, there are a lot of common questions that arise. This isn’t surprising, workplace safety is quite a complicated subject, and guidance is often needed.

But why should we give you the answers?  

Spill Station is the leading supplier of spill kits in Australia, and we offer everything from risk assessments to workplace training to help you wrap your head around safety precautions that should be ready in your workplace, and how to remain compliant over time. 

Let’s Educate You:

Why should you use a spill kit? 

It’s simple, to keep your workers and the environment safe. If a hazardous liquid spills into your workplace and you don’t have the appropriate safety precautions in place, the spill will shut down work, result in a call to emergency services, and can possibly harm workers, cause slips and falls, destroy machinery and harm the environment. Just stay safe and use a spill kit! 

What happens if you don’t have a spill kit? 

In Australia, spill kits are considered a legal requirement if your business handles, stores or moves hazardous liquids. So you must have the equipment you need to respond effectively and safely to spills. If you fail to adhere to these laws, you can be fined or even face jail time, with serious brand reputation repercussions. In our opinion, it’s just not worth the risk. 

Do staff need training or can they use the instructions?

If you don’t train your staff, they can’t handle a spill effectively. You may think that the instruction card is enough, but it’s really not. If you train your staff they can implement the kit without delays in an emergency situation. If you need help with this, contact Spill Station, not only do we have the best spill kits in Australia, we can also train you to use them. 

Are your staff safe when using a spill kit? 

Each spill kit, regardless of type, will contain PPE, otherwise known as  personal protective equipment. This is because the kit will be used for cleaning a hazard and keeping your staff safe is vital. The actual specifications of the PPE will depend on the type of spill kit you’re using, but you can often find things such as eye and face protection, overalls and more. 

How many spill kits do you need? 

The amount of spill kits you’ll need will depend on the type of chemicals you carry, their quantity and location. By assessing all these factors, you can approximate how to best keep everyone safe. This will take a safety risk assessment to determine, and it’s something else we can help with at Spill Station. 

Do spill kits need maintenance?

Spill kits (like all safety measures) will need to be maintained correctly. The easiest way to do this is to simply restock each spill kit right after it’s been used. This will make sure there are no gaps in your kit, and it’s ready to be used again. The kit should also be checked frequently for cracks or problems in the exterior also. If you need help with spill kit maintenance and inspections, once again, we can help with that at Spill Station.

01 Aug
Uncategorized

Failure to install spill control costs $30K

A Tottenham metal recycler has been fined $16,000 and ordered to pay Environment Protection Authority Victoria’s (EPA) $14,000 costs at Sunshine Magistrates Court.
Both the company director and the BDM pled guilty to three charges of noncompliance.

The noncompliance concerned:

  • failure to install (and report on) engineering controls so as to contain any spills or leaks of liquid waste from such activities & prevent them from accessing land and stormwater.

RoBund Trafficable Bunding is an easy, cost effective bunding solution that can be quickly installed on any flat sealed surface.
For more information on how you can improve workplace safety, contact the Spill Station team today.

wash pad bunding

30 May
Uncategorized

Flammable liquid cabinets

The overall purpose of a flammable cabinet is to protect the items within the cabinet, in the event that the space around it is no longer stable. Whether that be a fire, ignition sources or even mishandling or misplacing the items. The cabinets are essentially a fireproof method in which you can keep your workplace safe and your hazardous chemicals apart.

Consider the Construction

Flammable liquid cabinets often have a double wall made of corrosion resistant steel, this is an insulator that protects it from external heat. It also has galvanised steel cabinet shelves as well as a leak proof sump where liquids can safety pool in the event of a leak. 

The doors also feature a soft close with safety latches and lockable handles for as much as safety as possible, and to keep unwanted hands away from hazards. One of the most useful features it has, or at least the ones offered by Spill Station has are adjustable feet, so you don’t need to level the floors before use.

Visible Labels Matter

As per the Australian Standards, all flammable storage cabinets have a bold red sign that warns of flammable materials, for easy identification. The cabinet is also made in a bright yellow colour so they cannot easily be hidden or placed out of sight. 

Additionally, Spill Station’s flammable cabinets carry an additional label that reminds people nearby not to smoke within 3 metres of the cabinet. This is a strict guideline that dictates that ignition sources such as sparks, cigarettes and the like must be kept away from the cabinets and where they are stored, to reduce risk. 

By labelling the cabinet correctly, you can ensure that staff, visitors and emergency service workers are all aware of the cabinet’s placement, what they contain and the dangers of introducing ignition sources nearby. 

Position The Cabinets Correctly

To make sure the flammable liquids stored in your workplace pose minimal risk to workers, workspaces and the environment, they must be strategically placed. Some of the guidelines are as follows:

  • Flammable liquid storage cabinets that have a capacity above 850L must be placed further away than 3 metres to any wall shared with another room, unless the wall is made of concrete or masonry and is 3 metres taller than the cabinet. 
  • Flammable cabinets with a greater capacity than 850L should only be installed in factories and workshops, not hospitals, residential buildings and the like. 
  • Cabinets with a greater capacity than 850L shouldn’t be placed on upstairs levels, or any floors without access to the street or ground level. 

It’s also vital to keep these storage rules in mind.

  • You can only place 850L per 250 square metres on ground floors.
  • You can only place 250L per 250 metres squared on any other floor. 
  • In all cases, these total quantities must be separated by at least 10 metres. 

By following all these rules, you can help make sure your workplace is kept safe. If you want compliance ready flammable cabinets, you can’t look past Spill Station’s range of flammable cabinets.

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