Do you want to be at the mercy of spills? They can't be avoided completely, although you can take precautions. But no matter what, you need to be prepared to clean them up when they do occur. Read on to get the scoop on absorbents, the key to easy clean-up.
Spills can vary widely -- in terms of the substance that is involved, the size of the spill, and the place where it has spilled. In each case, your clean-up may pose special challenges. Fortunately, there's an absorbent solution for just about any possible constellation.
First of all, absorbents come in three major types, sorted by the type of spill: oil, universal, and hazmat. For easy selection, they tend to be color coded: white for oil, gray for universal, and yellow for hazmat.
So if you are dealing with oils and hydrocarbons, you should get the white type. And if you frequently transport or store hazardous materials, the yellow type is right for you. The universal type is suitable for all kinds of spills, and so it's a good idea to have some of those absorbents around no matter what you do.
Absorbents also come in different forms, suitable for small spills and large spills, and for spills in a wide variety of situations. You may be able to clean up small spills at your plant with oil pads or a few sheets of an oil absorbant roll. But for larger spills, especially those that occur in a body of water, you will need oil booms. And there are many additional options in between.
Moreover, absorbents are frequently packaged as spill kits. Those are color coded once again for different types of liquids that may be involved. And they also come in different sizes and with different accessories. There are even kits for more specialized types of spills, including mercury or acid spills. You can also have them custom-made for your specific needs.
Some absorbents are also used in mats and filters. Mats can be used in high traffic areas and also placed underneath leak-prone machinery. The types used in filters tend to absorb oil and hydrocarbons while they repel water so they can be used for protecting the groundwater from oil and other chemical residues in storm water run-off for example.
No matter which type of spill you're dealing with -- there's an absorbent that can handle it. The important thing is to get the right type for your specific situation, and to be sure to get a quality product from a reputable manufacturer.
Want to know more about absorbents? Travis Zdrazil, an expert on environmental safety products, has supplied businesses with products to aid in meeting EPA and OSHA requirements for more than 10 years. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.absorbentsonline.comfor valuable tips and the latest news on absorbent and other environmental safety products. You may publish this article, but must keep the resource box ©2009 PCI Products Company. All rights reserved. |
