Chemical Spill Kits — Why You Need Them And Which One to Choose

Do you have to handle and maybe even transport chemicals? You may think you’re protected because you have spill berms and pallets at the ready. Do you really need a spill kit too?

The answer is yes, of course. I’m sure you’ve learned that the hard way that accidents happen most often when you’re least prepared… So don’t push your luck!

If you are responsible for handling and/or transporting chemicals of any kind, you’re also responsible for protecting people, the environment, and the equipment from any leaks or spills that might occur. And you need to be ready to clean things up.

And that’s where chemical spill kits come in handy. But what kind to get?

For small amounts of chemicals, you may only need a regular spill kit. But before you can even think of clean-up, depending on the size of the spill, you also need something to contain the chemicals. That will definitely make your clean-up work easier.

So for example, if you are dealing with drums filled with chemicals, containment tools with more capacity, such as spill pallets or spill berms, are an absolute must.

Of course, containment tools do just what they say — they contain whatever it is that you use them for. They don’t make chemicals go away. That’s your job.

Or rather the job of chemical spill kits that you can use to mop things up.

You can get a small kit if you anticipate just minor spills or leaks, or you may prefer to get a huge one, such as a 30 Gallon Spill Response Spill Kit especially for chemicals.

The 30 gallon kit is the economical solution for cleaning up most chemical spills. For the vast majority of situations in retail, industrial, and even marine settings it’s the ideal size.

Of course, you also need to figure out what type of kit to get. The oil only kit will work best if your chemicals are primarily hydrocarbon based. It will absorb the oil and other hydrocarbon chemicals, while repelling water.

If you handle aggressive chemicals, a hazmat kit is a must. And if you have a variety of chemicals that aren’t too aggressive, you might want to get the universal kit which will have you prepared for most eventualities.

If you’re dealing with a range of chemicals and aren’t sure which one might be best, you should probably get one (or more) of each, just to be on the safe side.

Either way, you will find that berms are great at containing a spill in one place, while chemical spill kits will help you clean things up.