Highly industrialized countries are characteristically more prone to environmental hazards than those that are less developed. In the United States, the environmental impact of manufacturing is recognized and protection measures are actively implemented to ensure that business practices are within environmental safety regulations and that manufacturing wastes are disposed of properly. Liquid wastes and spillages are mandated by law to be contained from spreading through the country's water ways.
The Clean Water Act which started out as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in the 1940s was enacted to stop citizens from polluting the country's waters both through personal and business acts. As part of the environmental safety regulations, those entities that are possible water contaminants due to liquid spills should have spill control and cleanup mechanisms in place. Manufacturing companies are required to have as part of their safety measures spill kits in their work areas to effectively control and clean up any type of liquid spills. These spill kits come in various sizes and in various types. Those with possibilities of chemical spills usually have hazmat cleanup kits with materials that are particularly designed to contain and absorb most kinds of chemicals.
Hazmat cleanup kits usually come with a list of all the things included in the kit as well as a set of instructions on how to use them for hazmat cleanup emergencies. These hazmat cleanup materials are usually yellow in color to serve as a caution to individuals in the area that there is a potentially harmful liquid spillage. Hazmat cleanup materials may include booms, mats, and pads that can absorb both water and oil-based liquid spills.
When there is an accidental spill either of known or unknown substances, the first easy to follow hazmat cleanup tips that the spill response team should do is to contain the spill and try to identify the substance so that additional safety measures can be done. There are usually personal protection materials that are included in the spill kits for use by the members of the spill response team. These include masks, goggles, protective footwear, lab gowns, and gloves among others. The chemical spill should be contained with chemical hazmat booms that should be placed around the perimeter of the spill to prevent it from spreading further. Depending on the toxicity of the spilled substance, immediate spill cleanup might be necessary to avoid further damage to individuals and property.
Another easy to follow hazmat cleanup tip is to use the right kind of cleanup mat or pad for the substance involved in the spillage. There are several types of chemical cleanup materials that can be used depending on what substance was spilled. Using an oil-only spill mat will not work as effectively on water-based spills as a chemical hazmat spill mat. Oil-only spill mats and pads only absorb oils or hydrocarbon fluids as they are water repellant. The best spill mats to use are universal spill mats, chemical hazmat spill mats, and polybacked absorbent spill mats and pads. These spill mats are highly absorbent of all types of liquids including both those that are water-based and those that are oil-based.
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