Spill Cleaning Procedures

Spills are unpredictable. Once the spill has happened, use the proper spill cleanup sorbents. A general spill kit contains socks, cloths, pillows, and mats to completely soak things up. Spills can be different from one to another. Therefore the cleaning procedure also will be different. For each type of spills, we should use the proper spill kit to clean it.

Disposal of the spill cleaning equipment and materials are also important. In a container, properly dispose of the used material. Then, decontaminate and clean all the spill kit tools, reusable material, clothing, equipment, and areas that were involved in the spill and its cleanup.

Any absorbent material can be used to adapt the characteristics of the substance that was absorbed. That is the first step in the spill cleaning on most of the incidents. Also, it is important to keep your personal protective equipment on until the spill is completely cleaned and the area is restored to normal.

It’s good practice to order new spill kits to replace the ones used. If the spill was dangerous or involved oil/hazardous materials, you should report the event to oversee authorities. Some paper works may be required to addresses the cause, resolution, and effect of the spill. Restock and review.

It should be good if you can prepare a small note that how you were handled the situation. It will be helpful if something happened on the next time. Replenish your spill kit tools frequently such as socks, pads, and other sorbents, so you can be prepared when the next spill occurs. Adapt your contingency plans and procedures accordingly.

In cases of chemical spills, there may be specific spill cleanup procedures to follow that do differ from the general steps above. This is especially important to note for workplaces that handle a variety of chemicals as a part of everyday operations. Typically, universal spill kits do the job.