Every business should have a spill response plan, ensuring that accidents do not become disasters. This involves having the right equipment, while ensuring employees have the right training to handle all types of spills.
With every business being unique, your spill response plan will be different from another business, as you have your own procedures, hazards, and dangers.
Spill response plans are specific to each business, though there are a few steps that ensure an effective response:
The minute a spill happens, the risk should be assessed on how it impacts human health, the environment, and your property. This should be the instant the spill occurs. If the spill is caused by a unknown product, read the container label to identify what you are dealing with.
The next step is to identify how much has been spilled and the dangers of the spill.
The person responsible for cleaning the spill should be dressed in the necessary PPE. If the dangers of the spill are unknown, the highest level of protection is essential.
When it comes to confining the spill, a small spill of a litre is a simple tasks, but it can get challenging for larger spills, such as an entire tin of paint being knocked over. It is essential to use the correct absorbents to ensure that all the spill is safety soaked up.
The next step is to limited access to the spill area by blocking or diverting foot traffic. It's important to confine the spill to avoid the liquid spreading and contaminating a water source. This involves protecting drains, placing a barrier around the spill until it has been effectively eliminated.
Once you have confined the spill, you can reassess the incident and develop a clean up plan. The first step is ensuring you have enough cleaning supplies to deal with the accident. If it is a hazardous spill, once the absorbent are saturated, you will want to ensure they are disposed of properly.
With the spill effectively removed, it's important to neutralise the spill that make have accumulated. This means disposing of contaminated materials, such as soil. You may reuse the PPE equipment, once it has been cleaned and inspected. Decontaminatio should also include effective cleaning and sanitising, ensuring you maintain a healthy and safe environment.
As soon as the spill has been eliminated and the area is clean and open to foot traffic, you will want to ensure you complete the spill reports required. Failing to complete the necessary reports can result in penalties. This could include medical reports and local reports required, as per your industry guidelines.
Spills can happen in any business, from a coffee spill on a desk that covers a laptop to hazardous material spills. It's important to have a strict spill response plan in place, reducing the risk of harming human health, the environment, or your property. An effective spill response reduces the risk of stains and permanent damage, ensuring your employee health, and the health of the environment. Sloane Cleaning Services provides a 24-hour emergency cleaning response service throughout London. Contact us immediately if you have a spill you need help with, we are here to help!