In trying to set a guide for liquid spill containment and control, state and federal regulations often make the task murkier than some of the chemicals you’re trying to contain.

Yes, there are guidelines for what is considered a reportable spill. Yes, there are regulations for the proper storage and handling of hazardous chemicals. And yes, you could fashion your control and containment plan around those rules.

But the regulations governing chemical spill containment can change; and nothing is out there to prevent your local jurisdiction from trumping the Federal guidelines with more stringent rules. Plus, chemicals not considered hazardous today could be tomorrow.

The risks are clear — costs associated with clean up and reclamation, plus potential punitive fines and penalties. In extreme cases, personnel and communities could be at risk for some sort of contamination, resulting in hospitalizations, treatments, and lawsuits. The damage to a company’s reputation is harder to quantify, but in the end, indirect costs could prove to be just as devastating as direct.

The fact is there are already too many industrial sites sitting empty and unmarketable because environmental clean-up costs are prohibitively expensive. And it doesn’t matter that when the facilities were operating they followed the handling, storage, and containment rules of the day. The upshot was, and it remains, that for a comparatively small upfront investment those site owners could have nearly eliminated their spill, contamination risks while protecting their investment and indemnifying themselves against potentially catastrophic losses.

So what is a responsible plan of action? Considering that in concentrated form nearly any industrial chemical is hazardous to the environment, and chemical contamination is quite often measured in parts per billion, and no chemicals today are unregulated, the bottom line for all companies should be to contain every potentially hazardous liquid.

And that is not a very difficult thing to do. In examining spills from minor to major, there are numerous products on the market today to help control, contain, or clean-up any and all spills. Sorbent products like pads, pillows, socks, and booms help contain and absorb small volume spills.

Sorbents typically come in three categories: Universal for both water based and oil based chemicals; Oil only for use on water to absorb floating hydrocarbons; and Special for absorbing aggressive, caustic chemicals.

As the volume of a spill increases, the risk of damage or contamination becoming wider spread also increases. At this point, spill containment becomes an issue. For liquid chemicals stored in drums or IBC (Intermediate Bulk Containers) pallets, shelves and racks with built-in sumps have become popular containment devices.

Typically designed to handle one to eight drums, Spill Pallets are transportable via forklift and are constructed of steel, stainless steel, or plastic. Racks and shelves can be incorporated into the pallet for horizontal drum storage allowing for spill protected dispensing.

Regulated under EPA, OSHA, and NFPA, secondary spill containment sumps must be designed to “contain 110 percent of the volume of the containers or the volume of the largest container, whichever is greater” in order to be considered spill compliant. In addition, the Spill Pallet must be compatible with the material storedi. e. plastic spill pallets/sumps for storing caustics.

For companies that operate with open processing or dispensing areas, spill-decking products provide compliant, modular spill containment. A typical system may include multiple 4’W x 6’L x 5”D grated spill decks; each deck can be joined together to form a variety of configurations, depending upon a facility's space or processing system requirements. Attached ramps are also available to ease material handling.

In cases where small volumes of hazardous chemicals require secured, sometimes isolated storage, lockers are utilized. Designed for up to eight drums or two IBCs and appropriate for indoor and outdoor placement, lockers can be built with a variety of options, including temperature control and fire rated construction. They can be used for chemical dispensing as well as storage and are easily relocated via forklift.

While pallets and lockers work well for small numbers of drums/IBCs, cabinets and buildings provide enclosed, secure storage for larger volumes of drums while still allowing for compliant secondary spill containment. Cabinets are designed primarily for indoor or outdoor storage and can accommodate up to 144 55-gallon drums.

For larger spills, like those from tanks or sprinkler releases, containment often means confining the spill to the effected room or area. Doorway spill barriers, both manual and automatic, effectively seal off the room, preventing contamination to other areas of the facility or storm and sewer drains. These large area spill containment (LASC) products operate indoors or out and in conjunction with berms or solid walls. Manual barriers are normally used in low traffic or remote areas with the barrier deployed at all times. In the event of vehicular traffic, the barrier is easily removed to allow access.

Automatic barriers are relatively new products, such as the Automatic Doorway Spill Barrier from DENIOS, Inc., which is designed for interior, high traffic areas. Unlike ramps/berms, the barrier lays flat in the doorway, allowing vehicular and pedestrian traffic to pass unimpeded. At the first sign of liquid, the barrier will deploy, sealing off the room. This particular barrier is fully automatic and requires no external power source to operate. Though cost can be a factor, these products are readily available to help any business store chemicals safely and contain any size spills. FSM