Are you confused about where you should keep your chemical spill kits? You’re not the only one! While it’s important to purchase a spill kit for your business, deciding where to place the kit is a whole other conversation. Chemical spills can potentially impact a range of areas in your organisation, so placing them in the right spot in an important decision. Potential spill sites could be almost anywhere in your business — wherever a substance is handled, transferred, decanted or stored. Therefore, you’ve got to be prepared to immediately and effectively deal with chemical spillage by choosing the right spill kit locations. To minimise the impact of these accidental chemical releases, your staff need to be equipped with a suitable chemical spill kit to contain and clean-up the substance and the resulting waste.
But what is the best place to keep a spill kit in the workplace?
For a fast and efficient clean-up, you should choose easily accessible locations for your spill kits.
Let’s get started by taking a quick look at the basic guidelines that apply to spill kits. We’ll then explain where the kits should be installed in your organisation.
What Work Areas Require Spill Kits?
It’s a requirement, under the Model WHS Regulations 2021, that any Australian business using, handling, generating or storing hazardous chemicals have a spill containment and management system.
Section 357 Containing and managing spills explains:
- A person conducting a business or undertaking at a workplace must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that where there is a risk from a spill or leak of a hazardous chemical in a solid or liquid form, provision is made in each part of the workplace where the hazardous chemical is used, handled, generated or stored for a spill containment system that contains within the workplace any part of the hazardous chemical that spills or leaks, and any resulting effluent.
Maximum penalty:
In the case of an individual—$6 000.
In the case of a body corporate—$30 000.
The Regulations go on to say that:
- The person must ensure that the spill containment system provides for the cleanup and disposal of a hazardous chemical that spills or leaks, and any resulting effluent.
Maximum penalty:
In the case of an individual—$6 000.
In the case of a body corporate—$30 000.
Therefore, the Regulations detail the spill containment and management obligations of any Australian workplace that carries any type or quantity of hazardous chemicals.
In Australia, you’re obliged to provide a containment and management solution for any area of your organisation that has hazardous chemicals.
These are, in summary:
- A spill containment system must be in place in each area of the workplace that uses, handles, generates or stores hazardous chemicals.
- Your spill containment and management system must be able to facilitate the clean-up and dispose of any hazardous chemical leak or spill, as well as the resulting effluent.
Where Should The Spill Kits Be Kept?
While there are no specific requirements that relate to the actual distance that the kit needs to be from the potential spill site, we recommend placing spill kits within 30 metres from the potential spill site.
This allows you to gain fast access to the kit in the event of a spill, without overpopulating your workplace with kits in every area.
As spills can happen in a range of areas — whether they’re indoors, outdoors or in your work vehicles — you need to determine if there’s a spill risk in your organisation before you go forward and install your kits.
REMEMBER: Not every type of spill kit will be suitable for every type of chemical that you hold onsite. Each type of kit, whether it’s a general purpose, HAZCHEM, or oil & fuel kit, will include the items required for the safe containment, clean-up and disposal of that particular type of spillage.
What Areas Get Overlooked?
As you can imagine, if a spill could occur in any area of your business that uses, handles, generates or stores chemicals, that means that a spill kit would need to be easily accessible for every one of these locations.
Chemical spill kits can be placed indoors or outdoors, including in the vehicles of staff who are working with hazardous chemical substances.
While there are some work areas that obviously require spill kits (such as decanting areas or storage facilities), many organisations overlook other key areas where spills may occur.
This could include:
- Loading docks and delivery areas
- All chemical transfer areas
- Manufacturing facilities
- Factory floors
- Retail premises
- Commercial kitchens
- Workshops
- Warehouses
- Storerooms
- Research facilities
- Waste disposal areas
- Maintenance cupboards
- Equipment repair facilities
- Refuelling areas
- Docks
- Vehicles
REMEMBER: Spill kits must be maintained to ensure that the kits are fully equipped when the next leak or spill occurs. For each spill kit that you have onsite, develop a regular inspection and maintenance schedule to help you stay on top of your spill kit checks and refills.
Helping Staff Identify and Locate The Spill Kit
It’s important that staff know where the spill kits in your organisation are located – and which spill kit is suitable for each of the substances that you hold onsite.
Your spill kit will already be labelled. It will also include brief instructions on its usage.
We suggest ensuring that you have each of the following in place, so staff are fully aware of how to locate the spill kits in your organisation. We recommend:
- Maintaining the spill kit labels – Your kit will come with signage clearly denoting the type of kit that it is. It will also include details on the contents of the kit, as well as brief instructions for its use. Make sure that these labels are clearly visible and intact, so there’s no confusion as to what’s in the kit.
- Choose a fixed position – We recommend installing your spill kit/s in a fixed location, such as attaching your kits to a wall or keeping them in a dedicated (unlocked) cabinet. It’s also a good idea to place your kit close to your document holder containing your Safety Data Sheets. This is so staff can quickly reference the chemical properties and hazards associated with the spill.
- Training your staff – Your Spill Response Team will need to know where the spill kits are located. It’s important that your staff are up to date with any changes in the types or number of spill kits that are placed throughout your organisation. Otherwise, how will they be able to deal with the spillage in a safe and efficient manner? The best way to make sure everyone in your team is on the same page, is to conduct spill kit training and refresher courses.
- Illuminating the area – Wherever you choose to keep your spill kits, make sure it’s a well-illuminated spot in your workplace. If spill kits are kept in your vehicle, make sure there are lights or torches available within the vehicle, so that staff can switch them on if a spill occurs at night or in a location with poor light.
- Signpost the location – To increase awareness about the location, we suggest attaching a spill kit sign to the location where your kit is kept. Make sure the signage is in a clear, large font and completely waterproof. Signage may be installed on the wall, on a dedicated spill kit cabinet or even on the floor. Signage options may include:
Spill kit,
Spill kit oil and fuel,
Spill kit inside,
Spill response kit,
Emergency chemical spill kit; or
Emergency oil spill kit
IMPORTANT: It’s also helpful to install signage to assist with the maintenance of your kit. This could include signage that allows staff to note when the kit was last used, inspected and refilled.
Various Spill Kits For Different Chemicals
If you have various types of chemical substances in your business, you’ll need to make sure that the spill kits that you install are suitable for the chemicals that you’re carrying.
For example, hydrocarbon spill kits are designed to be used with oil and fuel spills in wet environments. This kind of kit is highly specialised and won’t be useful with other types of chemical spills.
Conversely, if you’re carrying non-hazardous substances as well as hazardous liquids, you can choose to install both a universal spill kit as well as a HAZCHEM spill kit for the hazardous liquids.
Selecting and Installing Your Spill Kit
Understanding your obligations under WHS Regulations, in regard to spill containment and management, is the first step in determining the best places to keep your spill kits. As we’ve highlighted, there are a multitude of areas in your workplace that may be at risk of a chemical spill. Always select an appropriate kit for the potential spillage and install your kit within 30 metres of the site. Make sure that your kit features the correct labels, so staff can easily identify the contents. Also ensure that it’s located in a position that is highly visible and easily accessible.
To find out more about spill kits and how to maintain them, why not access our free spill kit checklist? Our checklist will give you the information you need to effectively maintain your kits so they're fully stocked, safe and compliant. Grab your own copy today by clickcing on the image below.
