The importance of industrial spill prevention

As can be seen by the protracted financial coverage of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico it is in the interests of everyone in industry that relevant spill control measures are put into place to stop spills happening.

Spills aren’t just a problem which can pose a risk to the health of your employees and the surrounding environment; they can also pose a serious threat to your bank balance, as the potential for prosecution from bodies such as the Environment Agency is very high.

For those companies who work with chemicals, oils or fuels it thus becomes pertinent to put relevant spill control procedures into place.

The owner of a firm which uses dangerous liquids has a responsibility to make sure that the health and safety of employees is not compromised and that employees are fully trained on how to handle the liquids they use. This includes giving employees training on how to store liquids and what to do in the event of a liquid spill.

Even a small spill can have devastating effects, so ensuring you have appropriate spill control equipment such as absorbents and booms is imperative.

If you haven’t got a spill response plan it is important to make provision for this so that spill clean-up is done properly and staff are appropriately trained.