Are you handling, transporting, or storing oil? If so, it's important to be prepared - and be able to contain the oil on short notice. Read on to discover how spill berms work to contain the damage.
If you are not yet familiar with oil berms, you should know that they are barriers that you arrange around the oil spill. This will keep the oil confined and prevent it from spreading.
And it doesn't much matter where the spill is either, or how big it is. There are berms that fit almost any situation -- some are modular so you can combine them and extent them to any size you may need. Others are smaller and lightweight so you can take them with you, which allows you to be prepared for a spill on a moment's notice.
There are basically three major types of oil spill berms:
1) Portable
Portable oil spill berms are small in size so they can be easily transported and kept handy for any potential spill. They are especially suited for drums and other types of small containers. Emergency type spill berms also belong into this category.
If you're shopping for portable oil spill berms, look for ones that are light weight yet strong and durable, preferably made out of polyethylene or polyurethane elastomer. They should be compact so you can carry them with you in cars and trucks or store them on a nearby shelf for when you might need them.
2) Assembly Required
Oil spill berms that require assembly are suited for bigger spills. They tend to be l-bracket berms, which are very economical. And don't let the "assembly required" label scare you. They are actually an easy one-piece design and come with instructions. You'll find that the required assembly is actually very easy and can be done very quickly.
3) Ready to Go
A third type of oil spill berms is suitable for larger spills and yet does not require assembly. The way they work is that you can basically lay them out and then put your equipment right on top of them.
Some of them have snap-up sides, and others have sides that rise automatically and turn the berm into a catch basin when there should be a spill.
You'll be able to get both the assembly required and the ready to roll berms in custom sizes to fit your specific situation.
When you shop for any of those berms, make sure they meet EPA requirements. And of course, having such approved equipment on hand helps you comply with EPA guidelines.
If you need to worry about bigger spills, you may also want spill containment dikes to cover more territory, along with drain protector covers to protect the environment.
Meanwhile, you're surely aware that spill berms merely cover the containment part of the spill management equation. They make clean-up easy because they prevent the oil from spreading.
But of course, you'll still need products to actually clean the spill up, such as spill kits and other absorbents.
Want to know more about oil spill berms? Find more information and all the latest absorbents and other environmental safety products on Travis Zdrazil's Absorbents Online website and get his FREE newsletter too. Travis is an expert on environmental safety products and has supplied businesses with products to aid in meeting EPA and OSHA requirements for more than 10 years. You may publish this article, but must keep the resource box 2010 PCI Products Company. All rights reserved. |
