emergency action plan | Spill Containment Blog

How Do I Respond to an Oil Spill?

December 31, 2020 by Travis Zdrazil

Plan, prepare, and have oil spill absorbents on hand for effective clean up

An oil leak or spill can have disastrous effects on the environment

Whether on a large or small scale, when an oil spill happens, you need to be ready to leap into action. But are you and your staff prepared to respond to an oil spill if — or when — it occurs?

The term “oil spill” is primarily applied to marine spills, but they can also occur on land. Either way, oil is a hazardous material that can have a disastrous impact on wildlife, marine life, and the environment. So when spills do happen, quick and efficient containment and cleanup are imperative.

Ways to prepare for oil spills

Of course, the best oil-spill cleanup is preventing spills entirely. But prevention isn’t always possible. Therefore, anyone who works with oil in any facility should make it a top priority be fully prepared for the possibility of spills.

If you handle oil in your facility, always plan for a “worst case” spill

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires leaders of certain facilities where employees store or use oil to put together and submit facility response plans (FRPs), detailing how they would handle worst-case-scenario oil spills. But, even if your facility doesn’t meet EPA FRP requirements, you should still have a plan!

A comprehensive FRP lays out preparedness procedures and provides an action plan employees can follow in case of spills. FRPs should contain:

information about the facility, equipment, and personnel;
information about potential spill hazards and responses to each; and
a plan for regular training, self-inspections, and drills to ensure staff members are prepared.

An FRP should also include a clear response plan coversheet that workers can reference quickly and easily in case spills occur.

But even the best FRP can’t solve oil spills by itself! You should also equip your facility with the cleanup materials a worst-case spill would require.

Spill response supplies to have on hand

Absorbent products

To quickly clean up oil spills, sorbents are a great solution. But did you know the term ‘sorbent’ actually refers to adsorbents and absorbents? The distinction being that absorbents take oil into the body of the material. Conversely, adsorption refers to oil adhering to an adsorbents’ surface, similar to a desiccant.

Hydrophobic products repel and float on water, only soaking up oil

The most effective oil absorbents are both oleophilic (oil attracting) and hydrophobic (water repelling). This type of sorbent product is usually white in color and floats on water.

Absorbent materials span a range of natural and synthetic construction choices. Organic options include everything from bark or sawdust, to corn cob and cellulose polymer materials. Typically messier to use and dispose of, these single use products often tend to adsorb water as well as oil. Which means they are best for cleaning up oil spills on land only.

Man-made plastic absorbent materials — like polyethylene and polypropylene — can absorb up to 70 times their own weight. And means these products are quick and efficient at soaking up spills in any situation. Not only that, but with a hand wringer, you can often clean and reuse them to save money!

What are the different types of oil spill absorbents?

Between oil absorbent pads, skimmers, socks, booms and more, the options can feel a bit overwhelming! So here’s a quick overview breaking down a few uses for each type of product.

Sorbent pads and rolls

Absorbent pads come in a variety of options, including these static-resistant oil absorbents

Oil absorbent pads and rolls come in plenty of sizes and quantities for any application. You can select pads with different absorbency options, including lightweight, medium or heavy duty.

Sorbent pads are a handy option for dealing with small spills. Economical perforated rolls let you tear off only what is necessary to soak up oil. Lay either product over a body of water to absorb oily sheen from its surface.

Absorbent socks, booms, and pillows

Absorbent oil containment booms float on water and quickly soak up spills

If you need to absorb more oil than a pad can handle, oil absorbent pillows or absorbent socks can be good choices. Ideal for hard-to-reach areas, you can wedge them under and around machinery or into tight corners.

To prevent a marine spill from spreading, link absorbent booms together to float on the surface of the water. These long sleeves will contain the oil, absorb the hydrocarbons but repel water.

Specialty marine and water sorbents

Sweeps, bilge booms, net bags and pom poms are specialty marine oil spill absorbents

In addition to booms, several other floating absorbent products are ideal for marine applications. For example, drawing a 100 foot polypropylene sweep over water will remove any oily surface sheen.

Oil snare pom poms feature thousands of polypropylene strands for high surface area absorbency. While net bags, bilge booms, and catch basin skimmers are other lightweight products that remove hydrocarbons and oil from water.

Absorbent mats

A semi-permanent solution for floors, reusable absorbent mats offer convenient spill response for small spills and oil drips. Simply park forklifts, vehicles and other machinery or equipment right over the mat.

As well as water-base liquids, these mats also soak up other common hazmat leaks like solvents and coolants. Which makes them a popular option for automotive shops.

Granular spill absorbents

Granular cellulose absorbents are suitable for cleaning up oil leaks on land

Loose material granular absorbing products are another top seller for automotive workshop floor spills. Just shake or apply these single-use materials directly onto oil leaks.

Because they are often made with bio-degradable contents like peat moss or sawdust, they can be messy to dispose of. And are most suitable for land spills only.

Spill kits

To be fully prepared for spills, an oil spill containment kit is often the easiest option. As the name implies, spill kits contain the absorbents you need to clean up spills and hazardous materials. They also include equipment necessary for your personnel to use those absorbents safely.

Oil spill clean-up kits come in a variety of sizes and different selection of products we outline above. This means you can pick a kit to handle your worst-case spill scenario and keep it on hand in case of emergency. If you need something very specific for your facility, we can even create custom spill kits here in the United States.

Spill containment

Another method of cleanup is containment; that is, confining a spill so it can’t spread. Once you contain the oil, you can remove it more easily.

To contain a spill on land, use oil conta inment spill berms. They come in a variety of sizes to suit your needs. Often berms are set up to house and safeguard against large container leaks. Alternatively, a flexible berm lets you create an emergency containment dike barrier wall around a spill.

Oil containment and absorbent booms can work well together

To contain an oil spill on water, use oil containment booms. Booms come in reusable non-absorbent options as well as heavy duty absorbency models.

One you are able to contain the spill, use any number of the products above to absorb the oil.

Become a spill expert

Oil spills can be catastrophic, and even the safest, most prepared professionals can experience accidents. Make sure you’re ready to tackle any spill with the right plan, training, and materials.

Are you ready for an oil spill? To determine which oil spill absorbents are best for your facility, contact Angie Meza at angie@absorbentsonline.com or (800) 869-9633.

This is a revision to a blog post with an original publish date of April 11, 2017

Is Your Workplace Prepared to Handle Emergencies?

September 12, 2019 by Travis Zdrazil

Learn the essentials for workplace emergency preparedness

Escape route procedures are one part of workplace emergency preparedness

It’s easy to think “It couldn’t happen to me” — until it does. Too often, we don’t focus on workplace emergency preparedness until disaster strikes. And by then, it’s already too late.

That’s certainly the case for some U.S. employers. For instance, many are less prepared than they should be for emergencies in the workplace.

Consider a 2014 report from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and RLE Technologies. Its findings state that 19% of organizations lack an up-to-date emergency preparedness and business continuity plan. And Staples’ 2014 workplace safety survey shows that only half of employees believe their workplaces are prepared for a severe emergency.

Don’t get caught without an emergency response plan

Think an emergency can’t hit you hard? Think again.

Firefighters and emergency services respond to a chemical spill
Source: nhregister.com

A variety of emergency situations could easily disrupt business operations. Consider the impact of a medical emergency or a short-term Internet outage. Let alone more catastrophic events. For instance, building and environmental damage. Be it due to severe weather, a hazardous spill, equipment failure, or a terrorist attack.

Your business needs to be ready. Because if you don’t have an emergency action plan in place to deal with events like these, you risk non-compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Specifically, 29 CFR 1910.38(a) and 29 CFR 1926.35.

And if non-compliance with the U.S. Department of Labor’s occupational safety requirements isn’t scary enough, an emergency can have many other dire consequences. For instance, without proper planning, you risk jeopardizing employee workplace safety. Or, even shutting down the business. In fact, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety, one in four businesses never reopens after a natural disaster.

What does emergency planning require?

You don’t want to be that one in four business that has to close its doors for good after an emergency strikes. So how do you ensure that you’re ready to deal with a disaster if, or when, it comes?

Fortunately, both OSHA and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offer comprehensive guidelines and resources. Which can assist businesses in developing their emergency preparedness plans.

Your workplace preparedness and emergency action plan should address these areas:

Program management

A preparedness program requires management leadership, commitment, and financial support.

These inputs are essential to your plan’s success and require ongoing investments, including time and money.
Planning

This task involves the assessment of hazards and risks and how to mitigate them.

Potential hazards exist in every company or organization. And every workplace is unique. Your preparedness plan should include hazards specific to your business and workplace environment. In other words, oil or chemical spills or severe weather events that are possible in your area.
Implementation

The plan should cover all facets of preparedness. This means crisis communications, business continuity, and emergency response.

Workplace protective actions can be everything from installing a defibrillator (make sure to train employees how to use it!) to having a shelter in place at tornado-prone locations.
Testing

Test and evaluate the plan with drills and exercises that you schedule on a regular basis each year.

Are evacuation routes in your building visible, and, are your staff familiar with evacuation procedures? Are alarm systems and public address systems in effective working order if you need to alert staff or reach out to local law enforcement?
Improvement

Based on what you learn during testing and evaluation, determine how you can improve your plan.

Do you need to revise your evacuation plans and emergency evacuation procedures, or, consider upgrading building fire protection systems? Is it time to update employee family member contact information so you can let them know about an emergency situation?

Get prepared for potential emergencies

Keep acid neutralizer on site to prepare your workplace for emergency spills

Ensuring your workplace has emergency response items like fire extinguishers, first aid, leak, and spill kits on hand is a good start. But, will only do so much during a large catastrophe.

Beyond tangible equipment, you must also have clear processes in place to report and respond to an emergency. Above all, preparation to protect your workers or customers demands a clear chain of command.

Preparation also means appropriate safety training for staff. The American Red Cross offers specialized courses in everything from first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to using AED (automated external defibrillator) equipment.

When developing your first responder notification procedure, you might even want to reach out to your local fire department or police department for their input.

Types of emergencies to consider

An emergency or disaster in the workplace can strike at any time, without warning. Broadly speaking workplace emergencies fall into two main categories – man-made and natural.

Examples of man-made disasters are:

Hazardous toxic gas releases or chemical spills
Radiological accidents
Explosions
Civil disturbances
Workplace violence that results in bodily harm and trauma.

Weather is one of many worst-case scenarios workplaces must plan for

Similarly, the types of natural disasters your workplace may need to prepare for include:

Floods
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Fires

Brainstorm potential emergency scenarios

Not all workplaces will be at risk of the same types of emergencies. But it always pays to prepare for the worst-case scenarios. Therefore, brainstorm any and every potential hazard that your workplace might face.

Start by writing down a list of questions, such as the following examples. What types and volumes of hazardous materials does your job site handle or store on location? Does your medical facility have the appropriate equipment in place to protect employees against bloodborne pathogen risks?

When it comes to natural disaster preparedness, check out our previous Storm Safety Tips post for more ideas.

The time for emergency planning is now

There’s no time like the present to determine whether your existing plan needs an update. Particularly if you haven’t recently done a review or test of your workplace’s emergency preparedness plan.

And if your company lacks a workplace emergency preparedness plan, consider the consequences of not being prepared when disaster strikes. In conclusion, make it a priority to develop a plan that protects both your employees and your business.

We’ll help your workplace with disaster preparedness

Workplace emergency preparedness spill kit

Have your plan in place? Congratulations! Now, check out these emergency preparedness products from AbsorbentsOnline.com:

Do you have the right safety products on hand for your workplace? To find out, contact Angie Meza at angie@absorbentsonline.com or (800) 869-9633.

This is a revision to a post with an original publication date of November 11, 2014.

Be Ready with a Job Hazard Analysis and Spill Response Plan

March 14, 2018 by Angie Meza

Earlier this year, a chemical spill at a clothing manufacturer in Norton, Massachusetts, triggered a hazmat crew response. Sources report the spill involved chlorine, a chemical the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) defines as hazardous waste, prompting officials to evacuate several homes in the surrounding area.

Despite the countless protocols in place to avoid spills such as this one, these incidents still happen. That’s why spill preparedness is of utmost importance. Part of an industrial facility manager’s job is to train personnel so their responses to unexpected events like chemical spills are automatic and it’s less likely for injury or environmental damage to occur. To meet this goal, facility leaders should have response plans in place for employees to follow and stock their facilities well with absorbents and other spill response equipment.

The first step: Conduct a job hazard analysis

For leaders securing their facilities against emergency spills, conducting a job hazard analysis (JHA) is essential. Designed to carefully identify hazards before they occur, a spill response JHA consists of three distinct steps:

Conduct a thorough facility walk-through, noting all potential spill hazards.
Incorporate any Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards that apply.
Equip work areas with necessary absorbents and spill-control supplies as well as instructions for responding to hazards.

In all steps of the process, it is imperative to involve employees. Group discussions can not only help employees identify spill risk areas but also promote safety awareness throughout the facility. Facility leaders should ask employees to demonstrate their daily tasks and what steps they would take if an emergency spill was to occur as well as what tools would best equip them to respond to such incidents.

Don’t forget a spill response plan

For those who handle hazardous waste, an effective JHA must also contain a spill response plan. According to OSHA’s compliance guidelines, any business in which employees could be exposed to hazardous materials resulting from spills are required to equip employees to deal with those spills.

Key questions to consider when constructing a spill response plan include whether spills require special cleanup materials, such as those safe to use on hazardous spills, and what size spills could possibly occur. Stocking the appropriate tools such as absorbents, drain protectors, drain plugs, drum plugs, and chemical neutralizers can greatly increase the effectiveness of any plan.

All the right tools

With their spill response plans in place, here are three main types of spill kits facility leaders should consider when preparing for a spill:

Universal or general purpose kits designed to address water-based fluids and hydrocarbons
Oil-only kits made with white absorbents that repel water and absorb hydrocarbons only
Hazmat kits made with yellow absorbents to clean aggressive fluids such as acids and solvents

Facility leaders can determine the best spill kits for their needs by considering factors such as the size of a spill and type of container necessary. They can even order custom spill kits for areas where potential spills are larger in volume than available container size.

Knowing industry requirements and the types of chemicals on hand is important, and having equipment such as nonabsorbent drain covers or spill containment berm dikes allows facility leaders to control spills until they can remove the liquid safely. Many also use spill containment trays of different sizes and generally place these underneath batteries or other hazardous chemicals to prevent leakage and contain spills.

Shop Now

Are you looking for a comprehensive guide to prepare for spills in your facility? Our thorough spill response compliance manual can help you consider the possibilities and develop a comprehensive response plan.

To learn more about absorbents and order the products you need for your spill response plan, contact Angie Meza at angie@absorbentsonline.com or (800) 869-9633.