Trends in … spill containment

Why is it important to find and stop leaks in the workplace?

A “simple water leak that has not been properly contained can cause a major slip hazard for employees,” said Sarah Filegar, technical services specialist, technical services, at Tipton, PA-based New Pig Corp. That’s why “containing spills and slip protection go hand in hand when evaluating your workplace.”

Jan Regtmeier, director of innovation for DENIOS SE in Germany, noted that “spills and leakages are often found very late. They often happen in areas that are hard to access. Environmental damages can be easily avoided when spills are detected early.”

So, how can they be avoided?

“The best way to contain a spill is to have secondary containment in place or stop it at the source by repairing whatever is causing the leak, but this can take time,” Filegar said. “If this can’t be done quickly enough, you can also divert the spill or contain it with absorbents. In areas with constantly wet floors, facility managers may sometimes choose to apply a product that adds traction to the walking surface.”

Added Regtmeier: “We often hear that leakages are hard to detect. People avoid the effort and costs of installing sensors because they often need power supply, wiring, horns, flashing LED lamps and so on. The effort can be dramatically reduced using plug-and-play battery-powered spill sensors.”

Compiled with the assistance of the International Safety Equipment Association

Coming next month:

• Material handling/warehouse safety