What would you rather do? Chase down and clean up an oil spill or sheen that’s spread like wildfire, or contain it before it spreads? The choice is yours.
When you think of oil spills, you’re probably thinking of tanker disasters or pipeline spills. Even though those spills can be catastrophic, they’re not the biggest culprit. Surprisingly, they're only responsible for 8% of the oil that enters our oceans every year. How much oil is encroaching on our waterways? Oh, only tens of millions of gallons.
The source of the other 92% of oil contamination in the environment? It's often persistent oil leaks and spills from industrial and commercial facilities.
This “invisible oil pollution” tends to go a bit more unnoticed than the big spills we see on the 5 o’clock news.
Cars, trucks, fleet vehicles and heavy equipment are some of the biggest culprits. They’re the main way that oil finds its way into soil and nearby waterways. Non-point-sources like roads, parking lots, storm drains, wastewater treatment plants and sewage systems are also easy access points for oil to pollute the environment.
Oil from leaky automobiles and faulty equipment often drips onto the pavement. In dry conditions that oil may sit upon the surface for days or weeks. That is... until it rains. Then, the water sweeps large amounts of oil into waterways. And, we all know how fun that is to clean up.
Or, would you rather stop oil leaks at the source and contain them for a fraction of the cost? Every day on your job sites, there is the potential for an oily mess to appear almost out of thin air. Even your equipment that’s in perfect working order can leak off oil. If you work in an outdoor or mobile industry, you see minimal oil leaks and drips all the time.
Well, guess what? Those pesky little leaks add up to be a big, big problem.
The EPA even refers to small oil spill problems as a “death by a thousand cuts”.
Environmental damages include: long-term effects on the ecosystem, harm to marine life and vegetation, and toxic pollution in our drinking water. And that’s not all.
Environmental harm, fines, legal fees, remediation costs and bad publicity are just a few ways oil spills can impact your company. How much would you like to avoid $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 in fines?
There are steps you can take to mitigate environmental damage. After all, it’s the company’s responsibility to keep oil leaks, drips and spills under control. And, if you fail to do so expect to suffer the consequences.
How prepared is your team to respond to spills quickly and effectively?
HalenHardy® has 35 years of experience in the environmental field. We know the challenges that the industrial workforce faces. Oil leaks and spills are an all-too-frequent occurrence, but there’s good news. It really is an easy fix. We promise.
Most people that work in industrial situations aren’t spill response professionals. Their many talents don’t usually include spill remediation. And, they are typically under-trained and ill-equipped to deal with a spill. To make matters worse, spills never happen at a good time, do they?
Think about it for a minute. How often have some of your biggest oil messes occurred when you were ready for it? Rarely. Most of the time, you find yourself facing an oil spill situation when you’re short-handed on staff, low on sorbent materials or it’s raining outside.
And, here’s the kicker—most traditional spill products don’t work in the rain. But, thanks to innovation and technology, better options finally exist.
Confidently contain spills with solutions specifically designed to work in any weather conditions. Leave the heavy spill cleanup and spill remediation to spill control professionals.
SpillBoas are rapidly deploying sorbent barriers. They’re also up to 25’ long and can be wrapped around a spill source or around a storm drain to reduce spreading. Booms are usually placed at stream outlets or small inlets.
Husky Spill pads are great for sopping up smaller spills or for use under leaky equipment or in walkways. Today, there are even solutions for storing ample spill pads in small spaces—perfect for mobile applications!
If you have leaky equipment or fleet vehicles, spill berms are an effective way to contain slow drips from valves, tanks, drums, machinery, equipment and automobiles. You can even drive in and out, so they’re ideal for containing leaks and drips from overworked equipment.
Don’t forget to educate workers on how to assess a spill, how to plug leak sources, how to use spill products and when to evacuate the area.
If you can’t contain the spill at the source, always protect nearby areas like storm drains, soil and waterways. This helps to minimize the reach of oil and its harmful effect on the environment.
Actions you can (and should) take proactively.
Remember: Time is money. Save both by using effective products that can be quickly deployed.
Actions for on site:
Spills happen. Doesn’t it make sense to contain those irritating spills before they become monumental mishaps?
Make sure your team is prepared. Equip them with the tools and knowledge they need to handle the spill. Their quick thinking can prevent excessive spreading of oil and environmental damage until spill cleanup professionals arrive on scene.
If you have any questions on finding the right spill control products that meet your needs, just ask. Give us your crappiest job and we will help you find a better way.