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.