Forest Operations > Operational Hazards > Spill Kits

Spill Kits

Spill Kits (see Fig’s 40 and 41) are used to contain substances and/or chemical spills that could accidently occur.

Fig 40 Small Chemical Spill Kit

Fig 41 Large Chemical Spill Kit

 

There are many different types of spill kits, and you should familiarise yourself with the ones that are used in your workplace.

Pollution is considered to be any movement of material that has the potential to contaminate soil and/or water. These materials are often referred to as ‘contaminants’.

Some examples of possible contaminants are listed below:

• Diesel;
• Oils and lubricants;
• Rubbish left on site.

There are a number of restrictions on the use and disposal of fuels and oils.  These include:

• The discharge of used engine oil onto the ground or into a water course is not permitted;
• Re-fuelling and location of fuel and oil drums is not permitted near watercourses;
• Fuelling and replacement of hydraulic oils on site should be completed within a ‘contained area.’

Most land or forest owners require that any spill greater than 10 litres be reported to the forest owner/manager as a formal incident.

Depending on the size of the spill, it may be necessary to report it to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

Contained Spills

If there is a spill of 10 litres or more it should be cleaned up immediately or as soon as possible.

The contaminated soil needs to be dug up and placed in a sealed container for removal and disposal off site.

Disposal of contaminated soil must be in accordance with your local EPA regulations.  Contaminated soil must not be buried.

Uncontained Spills

An uncontained spill is one that moves off site from the original spill.

This may be a fast or slow process. Containment can be achieved by mounding soil, or using absorbent material from a spill kit.

If the spill cannot be contained then it is classified as an emergency and you will need to comply with the Emergency Procedure for a spill. 

This usually involves specially trained people and additional resources.

Spills on water are not containable and therefore are immediately classified as an ‘Emergency’.