It’s a common occurrence to be confused about where your chemical spill kit should be placed. Although it’s important to have the right spill kits on hand for your business, knowing where they go takes a lot of knowledge.
Chemical spills can reduce productivity, cause harm to workers and impact the environment if it’s not handled properly, so placing your Hazchem spill kits in the right space is an important choice to make overall. When done right, you can make the spill response process so much easier on your workers, but how do you do it right?
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What Work Areas Require Spill Kits?
It’s a requirement under Australian law that businesses that use, handle, make or store hazardous chemicals have a spill containment and management system. This includes facilitating the safe disposal of hazardous chemical leaks or spills as well as any waste resulting from this.
Where Should the Spill Kits Be Kept?
This is where it gets confusing, as there are no specific requirements by law for the actual distance the kit needs to be from the spills, a general rule of thumb is 30 metres. This should be enough to get fast access to the kit in the event of a spill, without having too many kits everywhere.
What Areas Get Overlooked?
Many workplaces are adept at keeping spill kits indoors and near the spaces where the chemicals themselves are stored, but they often overlook the fact that spill kits can be used outdoors as well. This is vital if you have outdoor facilities, such as outdoor storage for pesticides and the like.
In addition, another place where small spill kits might be needed is in vehicles, whether they be used to move chemicals from one place to another or be used with tools the workers must use.
Make Sure the Kits Are Visible
Spill kits have to be so obvious that even visitors to your workplace are aware of where they are at any given time. By doing this, you can make sure that everyone is aware of the spill kit, what it does and how to use it correctly.
This means you should make sure the following is done:
- Maintain the spill kit labels.
- Choose one location that your spill kit will not leave.
- Train your staff in using and maintaining the kit.
- Make sure the area is well-lit.
- Make sure the area is signposted.
If you can manage the above, the chemical spill kit will be ready to go in the event of an emergency, and you can stay on top of your workplace’s safety.
If you need a chemical spill kit, you should choose Australia’s leading distributor: Spill Station. Not only can they supply you with the spill kits you need to remain compliant, but they also provide education and training about where your spill kit should go and what needs to be done to create a robust safety plan.
