Spill Kits

Spill kits are comprehensive sets of tools and materials designed to manage and clean up hazardous spills, such as oil, fuel, chemicals and other potentially dangerous substances. These kits are essential for maintaining workplace safety and environmental protection by providing everything needed to quickly and effectively address spills.

Typically, spill kits contain:

1. Sorbent pads — Absorbent materials that soak up liquids, making them ideal for minor spills.
2. Loose absorbents — Granular or powdered materials used for larger spills to absorb and contain liquids.
3. Containment booms — Barriers that prevent the spread of spills, particularly useful for larger spills or those near water sources.
4. Personal protective equipment (PPE) — Safety gear such as gloves, goggles and coveralls to protect responders from exposure to hazardous substances.
5. Contaminated waste bags — Bags for the safe disposal of used absorbents and other contaminated materials.
6. Instruction manual — A guide on how to use the kit effectively and safely.

Yes, you can be fined if you don’t have a spill kit. According to Section 360 of the Work Health and Safety regulations, any workplace that handles, generates or stores hazardous materials must ensure that safety equipment is always available for use in an emergency. If a spill occurs on your site and you don’t have the correct equipment, you can be fined up to $30,000.

Moreover, if you fail to clean up a spill, you can be charged with an offence, fined and possibly face jail time, depending on the severity and impact of the incident. Save money and avoid legal trouble by ensuring that you have a spill kit to respond to spills and comply with legal requirements.

The type of spill kit you require depends on the types of liquid you have at your worksite. If you deal with fluids like oils, fuels or solvents of hydraulic fluids, you will need an oil & fuel spill kit. If you deal with water-based or non-hazardous chemicals like coolants, herbicides, degreasers, paints or beverages, a general-purpose spill kit will do the trick. If you work with hazardous chemicals like acids, caustics or corrosive liquids, you will need a chemical spill kit.

Our spill kits contain everything you need to respond to a spill safely and effectively, including sorbent pads, loose absorbents, booms, contaminated waste bags and PPE (personal protective equipment) like eye/face/respiratory protection, gloves, boots and more. The exact kit contents will depend on the type of spill kit you choose.

You should keep your spill kit in an easily accessible place, in the location where spills are most likely. You can keep your kit inside or outside. If you choose to keep it outside, make sure that the kit is watertight and protected from UV radiation.

You should inspect your spill kit on a regular basis to make sure that all required items are present, in working order, and within their expiry date. If you want to ensure that your spill kits are as safe, effective and up-to-date as possible, we can visit your workplace and restock your spill kits as required. You can find out more about this service on our scheduled equipment maintenance page.

Yes. In order to respond to a spill effectively, your staff need to be trained to use a spill kit. At Spill Station, we offer an accredited Spill Kit Training Course that covers the theoretical and practical skills your employees need to recognise and control small on-site emergencies. You can find out more here.

The size of the spill kit that you need depends on the volume of your largest likely spill. Start by determining the largest amount of liquid that could be spilled from your hazardous liquid containers. For instance, if your liquids are stored in drums, the largest likely spill could be the entire contents of the drum. Therefore, you will need a spill kit that can handle the volume of your largest container.

However, it is not always practical or possible to absorb the entire contents of a spill with a spill kit alone. This is why spill kits are often used in conjunction with non-absorbent dikes and drain covers. These tools help channel or contain the liquid, allowing it to be removed with vacuums or pumps. Once the majority of the liquid has been removed, spill kits can then be used to clean up any remaining residue.

To determine the spill equipment that you need on your site, we recommend that you chat with a member of our team. They can provide expert guidance tailored to your specific requirements to put appropriate spill response measures in place.

No, hazardous chemicals like acids, alkalis, caustics or corrosive liquids should be cleaned up with a chemical spill kit. A general-purpose spill kit can be used to clean up water-based liquids or non-hazardous chemicals, such as coolants, herbicides/pesticides, degreasers, paints and beverages. If you need to clean up hydrocarbon spills such as oils, fuels, solvents and hydraulic fluids, and oil & fuel spill kit will be required.

Yes, however, the type of (PPE personal protective equipment) in the kit will depend on the sort of liquids that your workplace handles. Different types of spill kits come with different PPE. Some common PPE that you can expect to see include eye and face protection, gloves, respiratory protection and lab coats or overalls. In addition, some spill kits may also include chemical-resistant boots, splash goggles, full-face shields, Tyvek suits or other chemical-resistant suits, hood covers and emergency wash solutions such as saline and aprons. These additional PPE items ensure that responders are fully equipped to handle a variety of hazardous materials safely and effectively.

Your staff need the training to ensure that they know how to respond to spills quickly, safely and efficiently. Using a spill kit, the general process of a spill cleanup will involve (but not necessarily be limited to) the following steps:

1. Evaluate what liquid has been spilt
2. Put on PPE to ensure your safety
3. Contain the spilt liquid
4. Stop the source
5. Begin the cleanup using your spill kit
6. Contact necessary authorities
7. Dispose of sodden materials (used absorbent material should be taken to a licensed waste depot for appropriate disposal)
8. Clean off towels and reusable materials
9. Restock spill kit components used
10. Review procedures and plans in place to prevent any future spills

The legal responsibility will depend on all sorts of circumstances relevant to the spill. In general, those that can be held legally responsible include:

• the person in possession of the spilt substance
• the owners of the constrained that the liquids spilt from
• the owner of the land where the spill occurred
• the occupier of the land at the time of a spill incident.

Responsibility will vary based on the specific situation, but it is essential that your work site stores liquids and cleans up spills in a compliant way that meets Australian rules and regulations. Demonstrating due diligence in storing liquids and managing spills is the best defence against legal issues. Always follow proper procedures and use appropriate spill kits to maintain compliance and protect the environment.

If you have any questions about spill kits, don’t hesitate to get in touch. At Spill Station, we have the best general-purpose, Hazchem, oil, lab/medical and chemical spill kits Australia has to offer — and we would love to help you keep your workplace safe and meet all compliance.