A spill containment platform is any type of semi-permeable flooring, pallet, or loader base that can safely contain any spills from a storage unit (such as a plastic drum) placed for transport or stored on top of the platform.
An inert, non-draining tank is placed beneath the top flooring to allow excess liquid to drain into the core in the event of a leak, spill, collapse, or other accident. This emergency overflow safely holds its contents until the spilled liquid is repackaged or disposed of. The liquid is then insulated by ridged, airtight side housing, making sure that it doesn’t contaminate the ground or its nearby environment.
Spill containment platforms are typically made up of a simple, semi-permeable, grided level top and robust housing made out of industrial-grade steel, polycarbides, or plastics (or a combination of all three). Spill containment platforms can be mobile, removable, fixed, and static.
Adapted spill containment pallets (known as sump pallets) can be used for safe long-term storage or to protect dangerous liquids from leaking onto vehicles during road journeys.
Why are spill containment platforms so important?
Left unchecked, even a small leak from a drum or bottle of a relatively harmless liquid can cause havoc in the workplace. It’s far easier, cheaper, and safer to manage problems through preventative spill containment than by mopping up unfortunate accidents.
Even if it’s just clean water escaping containment, liquid on the ground poses a direct safety risk to your employees (with trips and falls) and can endanger your machinery and buildings. Unscheduled clean-up sessions eat up valuable time and can cut into your profits.
This is particularly so if the liquid is corrosive, abrasive, or flammable. If you work with electrical devices, they can be shorted out by liquid chemical spills. Hazardous slicks also require professional expertise and workplace downtime to clean up.
It’s essential to have spill containment protocols in place for the sake of protecting the environment. Toxic chemicals, such as petroleum oil, can cause significant problems for local wildlife, livestock, and crops if they escape and soak through into the water table and enter the food chain.
As of 2020, it’s a mandatory, legal requirement that all oil and toxic chemical ‘intermediate’ storage in the UK has spill containment installed that can hold 110% of the top-stored volume. You may be breaking the law if you do not have adequate spill containment platforms installed.
It’s for those reasons and more that spill containment is commonly used in heavy industry, petrol stations and fuel processing, warehouses, and fluid production facilities (such as bottling plants).
What advantages are there to using spill containment platforms?
So, why should you invest in spill containment platforms from Steps and Stillages? View our products here.
- ‘It does what it says on the tin’ - spill containment is simple to understand, simple to use
- Spill containment platforms help improve workplace health and safety and make your business fully compliant
- Rolling platforms are easy to move and manoeuvre, letting you store and process liquid products safely
- They’re adaptable - fully storable in workplaces, outdoors, and warehouses
- Pallets and trays are available in many different shapes, designs, and sizes to fit all needs
- Spill platforms are long-lasting and cheap to maintain - no extensive servicing schedules and repairs required
What next?
Call or email us today to find out more about our spill containment solutions. Alternatively, you can visit our website to find out more about the diverse range of products we offer and browse our online catalogue of waste handling products.
