Page 57 - Occupational Health & Safety, July 2017

becomes critical. Have handy such things as sand, clay, or even pet litter; these are absorbent materials that will help absorb and block the spill from spreading.
■ Depending on the size of the spill, use one or more spill cleanup and absorbent kits to absorb what remains of the spill and clean the area. Be sure to wipe down walls and equipment near the spill, to remove splatter.
■ Sweep up any debris caused by the spill or the cleanup op- eration and dispose of it properly. It is advisable for workers to wear masks during any sweep-up operations involving a spill.
■ Most workplaces will require that the spill and the cleanup operation be documented in order to evaluate how effectively the spill response plan worked as well as to look for ways to prevent such a spill from happening again.
Spill Cleanup/Absorbent Kits
The kit used to clean up the spill is central to the spill response action plan. When selecting such a kit, it is always a wise idea for administrators to bring in their spill response team. Having them involved in the selection process helps them better understand what types of kits are available and how to use them.
Additionally, selecting the most expensive kit with lots of bells and whistles is not always the best idea. Very often, the bells and whistles are noticed once—when paying for the kit.
With all this in mind, among the items the spill cleanup kit should include are the following:
■ One absorbent packet; this is the most important compo- nent in the kit. Look for an absorbent packet that can pick up 70 to as much as 90 times its own weight.
■ The kit should include disposable gloves and at least two of the following: scoops, towels, disinfectant towelettes.
Some kits will include quaternary ammonia solution along with a bottle for its use. This solution may be referred to as “quats,” the key ingredient in many disinfectants, used to disinfect/sanitize the spill area. (Before using the quaternary ammonia solution, the spill area must be cleaned up thoroughly; this will allow the solution to work most effectively.)
One of the most important points about kits as well as all the materials used in spill cleanup operations is to have them handy. Walking from one end of a large facility to another consumes valu- able time that could be used to contain a spill and clean it up. Be- cause time is of the essence when it comes to a spill response pro- gram, this is time dangerously wasted.
Dennis Knapp is Director of Product Development at Impact Prod- ucts, LLC. Impact Products markets several microfiber products in- cluding microfiber bonnet pads used for carpet cleaning. He can be reached through his company website at www.impact-products.com.
CORPORATE PROFILE
www.draeger.com
7256 S. Sam Houston W Pkwy., Suite 100 Houston, TX 77085
Tel: 1-800-437-2437 | Fax: 1-215-723-5935
Contact Information
sales@draeger.com
WHEN ONLY THE MOST RUGGED AND RELIABLE EQUIPMENT WILL DO
Since 1889, Dräger has been developing products that protect, support, and save lives. We understand that in the harshest work environments, only the most rugged and reliable equipment will do, which is why we manufacture some of the most durable, intelligent, and sensitive safety products on the market today.
At Dräger, we believe that a quality safety product needs to be reliable and should offer outstanding value over its life. That’s why we stand behind our Lowest Cost of Ownership Guarantee Program and why we design all of our products to be practically maintenance free and to outperform when put to the test. Discover how Dräger can help improve your safety and productivity. Call us at 1-800-4DRAGER or visit us online.
www.ohsonline.com
JULY 2017 | Occupational Health & Safety 53
Circle 48 on card.