Hydrocarbons are a constant presence in the industrial sectors which are demanding in Australia. There is always a risk of a leak whether it is remote mine sites in WA or busy workshops in Melbourne. Nevertheless, most companies commit the typical error of buying a solution off-the-shelf without evaluating their real risks of volume.
In order to keep your site secure, as well as to ensure you do not violate the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, it is crucial to choose the best oil spill kit, which can only be done with a tactical approach to defining your biggest area of failure.
The 110% Rule: Sizing for Success
The Australian gold standard of environmental care not only means possessing a kit but the appropriate capacity. Regulatory authorities usually seek secondary containment with the capacity to hold 110 percent of the capacities of the largest container.
In making the best decision on the selection of oil spill kits to use in your facility, you need to compute the worst-case scenario. A 20 established litre of vehicle kit would not be of much value, should the 205-litre drum (the standard 44-gallon drum) have a catastrophic loss in structure. The size of your main response asset should be large enough to capture and absorb as much flow as possible out before it flows to stormwater drains or bare soil.
Factors Influencing Sourced Capacity
The selection of the correct kit does not simply mean that you have to find a kit that matches litre to litre. You have to take into account the peculiarities of the Australian working conditions.
Absorption Efficiency and Liquid Viscosity
All oils do not behave in similar ways. Light fuels such as diesel spread fast and reach porous surfaces very fast, and heavy gear oils move slowly. An ideal oil spill kit to use on your site must have hydrophobic (water-resistant) absorbents that retain high rates of sorption at the humid weather of Queensland or the winter rains of Victoria. Contact Spill Station if you are looking for a trusted Australian oil spill kit provider.
Summary
The only way that you can have true due diligence under the Australian law is by establishing the size of your spill response on the basis of total container failure. You can accomplish this by going beyond a “one size fits all” -mentality and determining your own risks on site so that your best oil spill kit is not a mere hat trick. Correct sizing does not only avoid environmental fines, it also ensures that the waterways and soil in Australia are clean.
