Understanding Spill Kits for Container Products

It's a simple reality that within many industries or facilities where substances or products are placed into various container types, spills will sometimes happen. There are a few ways that such facilities stay prepared for these incidents proactively, and one of the most well-known across many specific industries is known as a spill kit.

At Industrial Container and Supply Company, we're here to offer an unmatched selection of containers for numerous needs, from bottles and cans to wholesale jars, lids, packers and more. We're also happy to provide expertise on important products that clients in our industry often utilize, and spill kits are a great example. Here are some basics on what these kits are, their key purposes and contents, and the different spill kit types you might consider for any facility where spills are possible.

Spill Kit Definition and Purposes

For those unfamiliar with the concept of a spill kit, it is essentially a pre-packaged collection of supplies and equipment necessary for cleaning up any type of liquid or powder spills that commonly occur in various industries. The main goal of these kits is to provide immediate resources to minimize the impact of such spills on people, surrounding areas and the environment.

The simple reality is, spills happen more often than you might think, and having a spill kit on hand helps to protect workers and the surrounding environment in the event of these incidents. This is why it's important for any facility in which spills could occur to have at least one comprehensive kit available for quick cleanup or response situations.

Spill Kit Contents

The contents of a typical spill kit vary depending on its intended purpose and type (more on this in just a bit), but here are some of the components that tend to be standard in most such kits:

• Gloves: Typically nitrile gloves or a similar form of protective wear, these are often found as disposable materials in spill kits.
• Absorbent Pads and Booms: These items are used to contain, absorb and/or recover spilled substances from the affected area.
• Waste Disposal Bags: Typically large plastic bags for disposing of soaked absorbents (along with other materials) removed from the spill site.
• Eye Protection: Safety goggles or similar protective eyewear, depending on the type of spill.
• Marking Tape: Used to mark off spill sites and/or warn personnel about the area's hazardous nature.

Spill Kit Types

The last point to understand regarding these kits is that different types are available for various needs and applications. The most commonly known types are as follows:

• Universal spill kits: When it comes to any non-hazardous liquid, oil or related substance, universal spill kits are a great option. These kits are quite variable in their size and scope, ranging from 5 gallon containers all the way up to 100 gallons in many cases. There are also several sub-types of universal spill kit - overpack spill kits, truck spill kits and more. Which you choose will depend on the type of spill and scale of potential damage.
• Hazmat spill kits: When it comes to hazardous materials, hazmat spill kits are the way to go. These contain all the necessary items for cleaning up aggressive chemicals and other toxic substances, including special protective clothing and masks as well as specific absorbents designed specifically for handling these materials. These also come in various sub-types, including bucket kits, truck kits and overpack kits.
• Oil-only spill kits: As long as we're talking about non-hazardous oils of any kind, oil-only spill kits can get the job done in many situations. These are designed with absorbents that attract only oils and repel water, making them ideal for spills in areas near waterways or other bodies of liquid.
• Acid spill kits: Acidic spill kits are the way to go when dealing with strong acids such as hydrofluoric, sulfuric and nitric acid. Like the above types of kit, these come in various sizes; however, they also contain neutralizing agents for safely disposing of any residual contaminants.

We hope this guide gives you a better understanding of what spill kits are and how they are intended to be used. As always, feel free to contact us here at Industrial Container and Supply Company for more information on our containers or any other topics related to the industry. We're here to help!