PROVEN SOLUTIONS: Preparing For Industrial Spills

All production facilities, from manufacturing to agriculture to food preparation, deal with industrial spills. These accidents range from inconvenient (like an accidental sprinkler release) to hazardous (oil or chemicals, for example), but all spills require a fast, dependable response that benefits from planning. For the most part, the adverse impact of an industrial spill of any scope is inversely proportional to the preparedness of the team and facility responsible for it. In other words, the more you plan for spills, the less of a problem they present.

Fortunately, companies like PS Flood Barriers™ manufacture products that excel at keeping liquids where you want them, and even contained after an accident. Interested in learning more about spill containment options for industrial facilities? Read on.


The Facts:

According to the National Institutes of Health (part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), “Because of the potential risks of fire, explosion, chemical reactions, and release of gases and vapors, it is imperative that proper methods and procedures are used to handle spills from containers of hazardous materials.”

They go on to list the four factors that affect the behavior of the released material:

1. The quantity of the hazardous material.
2. Inherent properties of the material and of the container.
3. Natural laws of physics and chemistry.
4. The environment, including the physical surroundings and the conditions (ventilation, sources of ignition, etc.).

All of these factors must be considered when identifying a plan of action for spill mitigation. In addition, National Institutes of Health guidelines include the use of the Incident Command System, defined by the National Fire Protection Association as “the combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications operating within a common organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of resources during incidents.”

Overall, the key to successfully mitigating any industrial spill is planning, and for more information about creating an Incident Command System, visit ready.gov.

The Challenge:

The National Institutes of Health says, “In preparing a plan of action, the consequences of additional spills, leakage and other incidents that can aggravate the situation need to be considered.” How can your facility be ready for accidents that result in liquid spills? In addition to the aforementioned Incident Command System and a company-wide disaster response plan, practical steps must be taken to control the spread of the spilled materials – and those countermeasures must be simple and quick to deploy under adverse emergency conditions.

The Solution:

Spill containment barriers from PS Flood Barriers are excellent for industrial applications where spills can become a hazard. They are designed to prevent water, chemical spills or sprinkler releases from spreading throughout your facility or harming the environment. Keep your workers, your facility and the environment safe by utilizing PS Flood Barriers to keep spills in check.

AquaTrigger™ Automatic Flip-Up Flood Barrier

This barrier is automatically triggered by a spill and quickly pivots up to protect your facility. It can even be tied into a building’s fire system to deploy in the event of an alarm (to contain the water from the sprinklers). It’s always in place and can even be connected to your existing alarm system. It is custom-built for your needs and conveniently self-stores flush within a floor surface, allowing personnel or vehicles to use the opening (without a trip hazard) while the barrier is not deployed. In fact, the AquaTrigger barrier is engineered to the AASHTO H-20 / HS-20 load rating for large truck traffic and independent-party validated, meeting the requirements of the ANSI / FM Approvals 2510-2020 4.3.3 Hydrostatic Test.

HydroDefense® Flood Planks

Quick and easy to install, these planks utilize a convenient latch system. 6” (model FP-530) or 8” (model FP-535) planks are stacked to create a liquid-resistant barrier that can be deployed by a single individual. Extremely versatile, the HydroDefense plank system can stay in place or be removed and stored if a walkway is needed for personnel or vehicle traffic.

EzDam Flood Barriers

EzDam®

Simply latch the EzDam barrier to the jambs in front of an opening and deploy in less than a minute. This barrier features corrosion-resistant construction and is constructed entirely of aluminum.

Spills happen, but they don’t need to put your people at risk or derail your facility’s productivity. Work with PS Flood Barriers and you’ll be ready to control spills and mitigate the challenges that come with them.

Contact us at 877-446-1519.

Sources:
https://tools.niehs.nih.gov
https://www.ready.gov/incident-management
https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=1600