Advice On Using Hazardous Spill Kits
Companies that use chemicals and acids in the workplace are legally required to be able to safely clean up those materials in the event of spillages. Due to the nature of the materials, it is not possible for employees to clean them up in the same way that would spillages of other materials. To ensure that health and safety regulations are complied with, it makes sense to have hazardous material spill kits readily available in the workplace.
Chemical or hazardous spill kits contain everything you need to contain and clean up unknown chemical spills. They typically include absorbent socks which are used to contain and absorb chemical spills, absorbent mats and pillows to soak up contained spills, as well as disposal bags and ties to make sure used absorbents are disposed of safely. Using all the absorbents in conjunction with each other will ensure that the liquid spill is cleaned up effectively.
Whether the liquid is hazardous or not it is wise to use a hazardous spill kit as it is always best to assume the worst in this type of situation. Your employees will be kept safe from harm, damage to the environment will be prevented and costly fines will be avoided. In order to protect workers and prevent the improper use of absorbents when dealing with an unknown spill it is important that you choose a hazardous spill kit that is clearly labeled and easily identifiable.
Training that you give employees in relation to how to deal with spillages of chemicals and acids should be organized and thorough. Simply telling an existing employee to spend ten minutes explaining the procedure to a new employee will not suffice. You should designate an experienced member of staff to conduct the training for all new employees and then test the employees afterwards. Training should not be a one off event either. At least once a year you should run refresher courses to ensure that everyone knows what to do in the event of hazardous materials being spilt.
Using a color coding system to differentiate between different types of spill kits is highly advisable. Whilst you may think that it would be easy enough just to read the label, remember that in the event of an emergency it is easy to make mistakes. Anything that you can do to make the clean up procedure easier for employees should be done. You need to think about this today and not wait until something actually happens.
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