What you need to know about maintaining your spill kit

• Check your spill kit at least every 3 months
• Replace used or worn components
• Remove any rubbish or foreign objects

Properly maintained, your spill kit is your first defence against spills.

Your spill kit provides a fast and direct response to workplace spills. Whether it's for general liquids, fuel, or Hazchem spills, the right spill kit can help you to contain potentially dangerous discharges.

However, like all safety equipment within your business, your spill kit does require some maintenance in order to keep remaining effective and ready for use.

The basics:

1. Train personnel in spill kit maintenance

Spillkits should be regularly checked and maintained.

The first step is training your personnel in the proper maintenance of spill kits. If you're unsure of how to do this yourself, speak with your chosen spill kit provider.

2. Make spill kit maintenance part of your routine

You can take the hassle out of spill kit maintenance by adding it to your business' ongoing maintenance schedule. Making it part of a routine is the best way to ensure checks are conducted regularly.

3. Conduct spill kit checks every 3 months

It is recommended that you check your spill kits at least every three months. However, in high-risk areas, such as in mechanics workshops or mine sites, it may be necessary to do so more frequently.

What to include in spill kit maintenance:

Regularly check that all the contents in your spill kit are in working order.

4. Perform a spill kit contents check

When conducting your routine spill kit maintenance, check that all contents are present. Including:

• Absorbents
• Containment products
• Safety products

Should you find any missing, purchase replacements from your chosen spill kit parts and supplies provider.

5. Ensure all spill kit parts and supplies are in working order

To determine whether spill kit parts and supplies are in working order, remove them from your spill kit container and check them for signs of wear or use. Where possible, check components for strength and effectiveness.

Opened packages may be a red flag. Always check product quantity against the kit product list. Product lists are supplied with each kit.

6. Replace old or worn components

Spill kit parts and supplies are typically hardy. However, some parts may require replacing with age. 'Plug n Dike', for example, is a putty based sealant, which after an extended period of time can start to harden past the point of reliable use.

7. Make sure spill kits are strategically placed

Spill kits are designed for rapid response. Therefore, if they are not placed appropriately, they cannot perform as intended. When conducting maintenance, check that your spill kits are placed conveniently for ease of access.

8. Check for rubbish or other foreign objects

Despite their bright colour and signage, spill kits are occasionally mistaken for waste bins. This can result in access to spill kits being obstructed. So, during maintenance, remove any objects which block access to your spill kit or spill kit parts and supplies.

What to avoid:

Spills can happen anytime so it's important to have your spill kit ready to use when they happen.

9. Don't wait until it's too late

Without regular maintenance, people often don't discover that their spill kit parts and supplies are depleted, until a spill occurs, at which point it is too late. Don't let this happen to you.

Note: At SpillPro, we can supply kits with seals which are easy to break when access to the kit is required.

These seals serve two purposes. One being a barrier to unintended access and two being an indicator that the kit has been opened and potentially used. On some sites this will be a trigger to indicate an incident.

10. There are often no obvious signs

As all spill kit components are housed within the product's container, there are often no obvious signs that it needs attention. The only way to ensure that your spill kit is always ready for use, is with regular maintenance.

"Properly maintained, your spill kit is your first defence against spills."

Want to know more? Get in touch.

At SpillPro we've been providing Australian businesses with precision spill management products and services for over 40 years. And, we're here to help you too.

Whether you require one spill kit or a complete spill management package, we can tailor a solution that matches your needs, business and budget.

Find out more about SpillPro online or call us on 1800 368 450.