Oil and fuel spills can have devastating impact on the environment as well as human health and safety. The best approach is prevention; however, when a spill does happen, it’s important to contain it immediately so its impact is minimized. From slips and trips to toxic scalds and burns, spills pose a great risk to employees, contractors and visitors.

When left unchecked, spills can seep into waterways and soak into ground water, leading to contamination of drinking water, and threats to plant and wildlife as well as human health.

Heed these tips to prevent extensive spreading and environmental damage until trained spill control professionals can arrive on the scene:

  • Train your workers to employ proper spill prevention practices when working with oil and fuel sources.
  • Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure safe handling of materials.
  • Post a visible worksite map that shows the location of oil and fuel sources.
  • Make sure employees know in advance which spill situations they can safely contain and which ones are not safe to handle.
  • Along with storage instructions and supervision, give workers product recommendations —  spill pads, rugs, and booms.
  • Oil spills spread 100 times faster in wet weather than dry; you may want to have specialty spill control materials that work in wet conditions.

Actions for on site

  • Time is valuable, but don’t panic. Rely on training to stay calm and move efficiently.
  • Assess the site risks and hazards present.
  • Follow your company’s spill control procedures to notify relevant parties — internal environmental coordinators, spill contractors, emergency responders, EPA, state and local environmental authorities, etc.
  • With help on the way, and once fully equipped with proper PPE, begin to contain the spill to keep it from spreading until help arrives.
  • If safe, and possible, try to plug the source of the leak.
  • If that’s not an option, surround or contain the spill directly at the source to keep it from spreading.
  • If it is not possible to surround/contain the spill, it’s time for damage control. Identify high -risk areas like storm drains, waterways, and soil.

The dangers of spills on construction sites can have drastic consequences to people and the environment, and at Bull we know that appropriate spill control can mean the difference between a safe work environment or otherwise.

Whilst appropriate risk assessments can help reduce the risk of spills, spills can, and may still occur. Having the right spill kits can help mitigate the impact – all whilst keeping your business HSE and legislation compliant and your reputation protected.

At the very least – even if you never need to use the spills kit, you’ll have peace of mind that you’re able to respond quickly, should the worst happen.

Oil and diesel spills, hazardous chemical spills, fluids including paint and solvent spillages. Whatever the type of spill, spills on construction sites can have far reaching implications for people, animals and the environment.

From slips and trips to toxic burns and scalds, spills pose a risk to people nearby – your employees, contractors or visitors.

Unchecked, spills can get into waterways and soak into groundwater, potentially contaminating animal and human drinking water, threating plant and water life, wildlife and human health in the local area and beyond.

A clean-up operation can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds – and that’s before any potential fine that the HSE or Environment Agency may impose.

That’s why it’s so important to have effective spill control procedures – to swiftly and effectively deal with a spill, should you need to.

Be prepared with the right spills kit

Help protect the environment and make your workplace safer by using the right spill kits for the risks involved.

At Bull our four grades of spill kits have been specifically engineered to manage the specific risks associated with oil, chemical, maintenance and marine spills.

Four grades of spill kit

Oil spill kits

Get oil spills under control with our range of oil spill kits, suitable for use with all types of oil management.

Engineered with our advanced hydrophobic technology, our oil spill kits help protect water sources and the environment by actively repelling water, whilst absorbing all oil and fuel.

As well as helping you conform with current legislation, our oil only products will enable you to provide complete protection of your work environment.

Our kits include absorbent pads, socks and pillows in a range of sizes to soak up and stop hazardous oil in its tracks, as well as waste bags, bins and shoulder bags for swift emergency response.

Chemical spill kits

Aggressive chemical spills require equally aggressive absorbents. Our specifically designed chemical spill kits are suitable for use in factories or on industrial sites where chemical spills pose a risk to people and the environment.

Use our kits to protect surfaces from small drips, or to clean up after a large spill – our pads and socks come in a range of sizes so you can choose the right product for your situation.

Maintenance spill kits

ur general maintenance spills kits are designed to absorb most every-day fluids, including hazardous chemicals. Use it for dealing with spills of oils, fuels, solvents, cutting fluids, mild acids and alkalis, even food stuffs such as milk, wine and water.

Marine spill kits

Fully buoyant and with large coverage for efficiency, marine spill kits are the perfect clean-up solution for spills in water.