At the beginning of a new construction project, it is important to put in place a health and safety plan. The health and safety plan is designed to provide everyone on the project with a range of issues that need to be addressed and monitored as part of the health and safety measures undertaken to ensure that all members of the project team are taking all reasonable measures to prevent, control and reduce exposures to toxic substances. The health and safety manager and any other senior health and safety person at the project site will implement the plans and make sure that the right checks and balances are in place. Any appropriate activities need to be carried out to ensure that the project is maintaining a healthy work environment for everyone involved in the project.
In addition to the health and safety plan, an effective emergency response plan should be in place. This is designed to meet the needs of the project team and any other people who may become affected by the toxic exposure. Such a plan needs to be agreed and recorded. It should contain provisions for the immediate help of anyone in danger and the assessment of possible victims and their care.
All construction projects and installations need to have a good health and safety policy that includes but is not limited to an emergency evacuation plan. This should be in place at the beginning of any project to provide a safe method of evacuation when required. A plan should be implemented to help protect the public from exposures to hazardous substances. All work sites need to have appropriate safety devices to minimise the risk of exposure.
On a construction site, or in the warehouse, chemical spill containment management is all about controlling the potential spillages at the site. In this case, spill trays are used as absorbent materials. They can also be used as monitoring tools to detect any leakage from the containment area or for spill recovery. The following article will provide a brief overview of chemical spill containment management in terms of Australian best practice.
What To Do During a Spill
When a spill happens, it is imperative that the spill is contained. However, this is not always possible because spills can happen anytime and anywhere, especially when large volumes of chemicals are used at the same time. Therefore, spill containment management requires a specialized system for the production process.
To avoid spillages, a spill containment system should be installed at the work site. Chemical spill containment management has two different types: spill containment system for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and spill containment system for solid material. Both systems have distinct characteristics which need to be considered when determining which one is best suited for your application.
Absorbent Materials in Hazard Control
VOCs are flammable, poisonous and corrosive, therefore, the use of absorbent materials like wet vacuum or absorbent paper will help contain the volatile organic chemicals in a workplace. Spill trays used in spill containment management absorb these volatile organic chemicals by adsorbing the chemicals on their surface. This method helps to prevent the chemical vapors from escaping and corroding the absorbent material. Once the chemical vapors reach the absorbent material, they are absorbed by the absorbent tray.
Another form of spill containment system (supplied in Australia by companies such as Stratex) is that of wet spill containment systems for spills from the handling of dangerous chemical compounds. These systems are used to contain the water leak from the emergency spill tanks. The oil from the spill tank can also be absorbed by the absorbent material.
Preventing Harmful and Potentially Fatal Chemical Spills
Water-based spill containment systems are essential in preventing harmful and potentially fatal hazardous chemical spills from contaminating the surrounding environment. The absorbent material helps contain the spill from leaking out of the containment system.
Absorbent materials are important to chemical spill containment because they can help prevent these chemical spills from occurring in the first place. They are used as a spill reduction tool for the emergency spill systems used for harmful chemical releases.
Environmental protection is also something that these materials can do. When used for soil compaction, for example, they help alleviate pressure and lower the frequency of soil erosion.