The Basics of Spill Kits for Your Workplace Safety
Spill kits are essential to safety in workplaces where chemicals of all types are stored, handled, or transported as they allow for spills to be cleaned by workers safely and efficiently without injury to workers, or harm to the environment or the workplace facilities.
With this in mind, spill kits can be the difference between five minutes of downtime at work or a few days. So, let’s look into it a little more.
What does a spill kit contain?
Spill kits often contain whatever is needed to neutralize, contain, and absorb a spill immediately.
Here are some things most commonly found in spill:
Absorbent pads: these are placed on spills to absorb liquids.
Absorbent socks: to surround the spill and catch the liquid to prevent it from spreading further.
Absorbent pillows: to soak up more quantities than pads.
PPE: personal protective equipment such as goggles, gloves, and face masks.
Disposable bags: to dispose of used absorbents.
Instruction sheet: to help people who are unaware of the use of the kit.
The Types of Spill Kits on The Market
Spill kits aren’t a one-size-fits-all situation, depending on your workplace, you’re going to need different types. Let’s take a look at the common types of spill kits.
Keep in mind, that some spill kits are used for very specialized spaces that require specialized disposal due to the contagious nature of what’s being cleaned, while others are very general and can be used widely.
General-purpose or universal spill kits contain absorbents that work for common liquid types such as oil-based liquids, water-based liquids, and hydrocarbons.
Oil spill kits are made to clean up oil spills on water surfaces as they contain hydrophobic absorbents.
Chemical spill clean-up kits can be used with corrosive and acidic liquids as well as more toxic fluids that can cause harm to people and facility equipment.
Biohazard spill kits are for cleaning hazardous bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, and feces and these can contain infectious diseases, so they need to be cleaned safely and quickly.
Haz-mat spill kits contain high loft fabric that has high absorbency and retention. These are helpful for corrosives such as acids. a
Laboratory spill kits are made to clean up lab spills that can cause respiratory damage, skin burns, and other such injuries from specific chemicals that react to one another when mixed or broken.
