No matter what your position is at the workplace, whether a contractor, supervisor or business owner, if you carry any type of hazardous chemicals, you must have a Spill Response Plan, as a part of this plan, you need spill kits in your workplace, and to help your staff protect themselves and the business from risks associated with hazardous spills.
What Staff Require Training?
Training your spill kit is an essential part of your organisation’s spill preparedness. It will equip your employees with the knowledge and skills to safely handle accidental release of chemicals in the workplace. Any company that uses hazardous chemicals must have a spill kit training program, this can be internal training or done by an outside source.
This means that all employees, even contractors, must undergo a training program. This will help them be aware of the dangers of chemical products. In addition to this training, all these personnel should be trained to identify and notify the appropriate people in the event of a spill, if not managing it themselves.
Key Points to Consider When Developing Spill Kit Training
There are a wide range of things that must be considered when undertaking spill kit training.
Risk Assessment and Control
Risk assessment means putting forward procedures for the control of hazards at the spill site. Some of these tasks include the isolation of ignition sources, evacuating work areas, having good ventilation and segregating incompatible substances.
Chemical Identification
Learning the properties and hazards associated with spilled chemicals is critical to safely managing leaks or spills. One of the first steps in dealing with an accidental release of a hazardous chemical is to correctly identify the product.
This includes consulting your Chemical Safety Data Sheet and talking to staff who may have witnessed the spill. Once the correct substance has been identified, it is time to control the hazard correctly.
Using Spill Kits Correctly
Proper use of spill kits is a skill learned through both theory and practical experience.
There are different types of spill kits for use with different types of spills (i.e. water spills, oil and fuel spills, non-hazardous spills and hazardous chemical spills). Therefore, you must inform staff of which kit to use with each hazardous substance you have on site. Employees must know what each item in a spill kit is, how to use it, and how to safely dispose of it.
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
As staff tend to the spill site, there are many health issues that occur when hazardous chemicals are accidentally released. To contain these properly, ensure that the proper protective clothing is worn.
Depending on the spilled substance, health problems may include:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Eye damage
- Intoxication
- Chemical burns
- Toxic poisoning
- Skin irritation
- Asphyxiation
Containment of Spills
To prevent spills, personnel often need to install a protective, absorbent barrier around the spill site. This can be achieved by creating a containment system consisting of booms and/or mini booms.
Reme
mber that not all spills and leaks require containment. For example, if a chemical canister is placed in a closed safety cabinet, the attached equipment will be equipped with a spill containment system. As a result, you will only have to control and clean up spills, not chemical leaks.
If you’re interested in purchasing spill containment tools and equipments, buy them now at Spill Station and keep your business safe.
Cleaning Spills
Employees must be instructed on how to effectively clean up spills or leaks in the work environment. This may involve employees taking steps to clean up in a fictional situation. Spill Kits can hold a variety of items, such as brooms, shovels, dusters, and brushes, as well as absorbents.
Make sure your staff understands the best way to use each of these items and how to clean up spills without creating additional hazards. You should also create procedures for how to successfully decontaminate the area so that there are no toxic vapours or residues left.Recording Of the Incident
Workplace incidents affecting health and safety should always be properly recorded. This allows your organisation to have an official record of what happened, as well as being able to analyse the problem and determine if corrective action needs to be taken later on.
Training Refresher Courses
As your business needs change, it may be necessary to update your spill kit training program to accurately reflect current chemical hazards in place.
By undertaking frequent refresher training, you can ensure that your employees are appropriately equipped to deal with chemical leaks or spills with confidence and understanding.
Choose Spill Station
If you would like to manage your spill needs, including training and the upkeep of spills and safety requirements, look to Spill Station.
