Spill Response in Australia

Emergency Spill Response Teams in Australia react to a variety of spill situations. These must be managed and cleaned swiftly to prevent further contamination.

Spill response teams like Evoro use emergency spill kits. These are essential for any business or household dealing with liquid substances or storing liquids.

Workplaces that deal with hazardous chemicals are especially prone to spills. For them, a spill kit can be life or death.

Spill kits come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They also contain different items depending on the type of spill that they are made to serve.

This blog explores a variety of spill response scenarios, many of which our team commonly manages and contains. It also sheds light on what an emergency spill kit is so that people can better understand the spill response protocols.

Spill Response Scenarios

There are various spill response scenarios that response teams can manage. While the spill response procedures might differ depending on the spilled material, certain commonality do exist. Personal protective equipment, for instance, should always be worn even when working with non hazardous substances.

General Spill

General spills refer to liquid spills that need cleaning up, but may not immediately impact the surrounding environment or human life. While the risks for contamination and harm might be low, they should still be approached with caution.

This is because hazardous substances are difficult to define. Proper spill management procedures suggest that any spilled chemical should be treated as a hazardous material until it is confirmed. This helps to lessen the dangers of the job.

Chemical Spill

A chemical spill occurs whenever liquid chemical waste is spilled and contaminates an area. A spill response team must ensure that the liquids do not cause further contamination. They must also work to decontaminate the area.

Spill control materials are commonly used in chemical spill situations. This helps to ensure both the proper disposal of the liquid waste and the safe decontamination of the site. Additional equipment might be used depending on the natures of the chemicals in question.

Oil Spill

Oil spills are an unfortunate by-product of our global reliance on oils and other liquidised fossil fuels. Any company working with them must have a detailed spill response plan in place in order to swiftly and safely contain the spill.

Oil spills can occur on both land and sea. This means that great environmental damage can be caused from even a small spill. Immediate action is needed to protect public safety and the surrounding environment from further harm.

Laboratory Chemical Spills

Laboratory chemical spill kits often contain loose absorbents that safely and effectively contain and clean up chemical spills. Liquids have an unfortunate tendency to spill, even when utmost care is taken.

For any institution that frequently deals with chemical liquids, it is advisable to consult a waste management company to assess your emergency spill preparedness. They can often advise and train team members.

Radioactive Spills

A radioactive spill poses unique challenges. Additionally, they can pose a significant risk to human life and the environment. Radioactive spills can also negatively affect the Earth’s environment for thousands of years.

Trained professionals should be notified as soon as possible. The emergency spill kit required for radioactive spills is designed to minimise the spill radius. It also promotes decontamination of the affected area.

Biological Waste Spills

Biological waste spills occur when any amount of a biological substance leaks from a containment area. As various biological substances exist, no one spill is dealt with the same. Cleaning up a biological spill usually depends on the nature of the substance.

In many ways, a biological waste spill follows a cleanup plan like a chemical or radioactive spill. The main difference has to do with the specific nature of the substance leaked. Evoro is accredited by the Environmental Protection Agency of Australia, highlighting their ability to safely manage potentially harmful spill scenarios.

Emergency Spill Kits

Emergency spill kits are a safe and effective way to manage the spill cleanup process. They can handle different forms of liquid hazardous waste as well as other common spilled materials. They are a crucial step in the efficient cleanup procedures.

Companies that work with liquid waste should consider obtaining an emergency spill kit. This will help to prevent the spread of the spill while the emergency spill response team is on their way. Having spill control materials on hand also helps to protect staff against the potential hazards associated with spill scenarios.

Spill kits are made up of a number of items depending on the specific spill that it is made to clean up. That being said, there are common and essential items found in most spill response kits.

Face Mask
Protective Gloves
Personal Protective Equipment
Material safety data sheets
Respiratory protection
Protective clothing
Absorbent Powder
Absorbent Pads
Absorbent Socks
Disposable Contaminated Waste Bags
Alcohol Wipes
Sealable Waste Containers of various sizes
Emergency Contact Numbers

Professional advice from a waste management company like Evoro is advised if a company or individual plans to put together their own spill kit.

Who Should Own an Emergency Spill Kit?

Any business or industry that handles hazardous liquid chemicals should have spill kits. They should also understand what to do in the event of a spill.

Emergency responders, such as firefighters or paramedics, can own emergency spill kits. While it is not a requirement or something they use frequently, it would be useful if they encountered an emergency spill situation.