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