Fuel, oil and chemical storage
Once you have a drainage assessment for your site, the second stage of an environmental management plan is to work out what could pollute it. What does this involve?
Key questions
One of the most frequent causes of pollution is when a chemical container ruptures and the contents are allowed to flow into the ground or local watercourse. When this happens, whoever owns the site is often prosecuted by the Environment Agency. The company is fined, and they also have to pay for the clean-up operation. So why not follow the second part of our guide to completing an environmental management plan to manage the risks? (See The next stepfor the previous article and our free document to help you complete and record your findings.)
Step one - what do we have?
The first stage is to work out what chemicals, fuel, oil etc. you have on your site. You also need to calculate how much of it you have.
Tip. You don’t need to work this out to the litre, a good estimate will do. This information needs to be kept up-to-date, ideally by a store person, stock controller or anyone who is likely to know what’s been used or ordered.
Step two - do we need it?
The most effective way of minimising the risks, and often the cheapest option, is to limit the amount of chemicals you actually hold. This way you won’t need to spend money on expensive storage tanks, and you’ll also be able to cut any hazardous waste disposal costs.
Tip 1. Go through your stock list working out which process uses each substance; if the product has no obvious use, dispose of it.
Tip 2. To prevent overstocking, instruct anyone who may purchase substances to try to minimise the quantities they buy in.
Step three - storage facilities
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to remove all substances from your site, so the next stage of your assessment is to ensure that what you do have is stored properly. There are many rules on how hazardous materials must be kept. Oil storage even has it’s own set of regulations dedicated to it. (SeeThe next stepfor a previous article.) As such, your storage solution must be fit for the particular substance.
Tip 1. The Material Safety Data Sheet, which the supplier, or manufacturer of the substance should be able to provide you with, will contain information on how it should be stored.
Tip 2. Any reputable chemical container supplier should be able to help. Ask them for a quote for a new storage solution, then compare what you have against it. If you are still worried, you may have to seek expert advice, possibly from a consultant, but certainly try the free option first.
Step four - emergency plan
The final part of the plan is to make sure that you are prepared, just in case there is a spill.
Tip. Staff should be fully briefed on your plans. If they act quickly and properly, the effects of a spill can be greatly reduced.
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