In this episode Ranmalee De Silva, 3M’s Application Engineering Specialist for the Cleaning and Workplace Safety portfolio of the Commercial Solutions Division in Australia and New Zealand discusses spill control in the workplace.

Spills in the workplace are unavoidable and need to be taken seriously when they do occur. Depending on the nature of the spill, whether it be oil, petrol, chemical or any other liquid it is important to get the spill under control to ensure the safety of personnel and minimise any environmental impact.

Guest Bio:

Ranmalee De Silva (pictured left) is the Application Engineering Specialist for the Cleaning and Workplace Safety portfolio of the Commercial Solutions Division of 3M Australia and New Zealand.

She provides technical support to the business and helps customers find solutions to their floor safety, cleaning and spill management needs. Ranmalee is also involved in developing new products and improving, or extending the applications of existing ones. The Cleaning and Workplace Safety portfolio includes notable 3M Brands such as Scotchgard™ and ScotchBrite™.

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In this episode, Mark & Ranmalee De Silva discuss the following:

• When we are talking spill control in the workplace, what does it refer to, spilling my coffee in the lunch room or knocking over a drum of solvent?
• When does/should a workplace consider looking at spill control?
• How much spill control capacity does a workplace need?
• What are the different type of spill control products?
• How does a spill pad or boom work, especially the oil only products?
• How can you identify which spill Kit you have?
• How far away does a spill kit need to be from a potential spill location, or how quick does a workplace need to respond to a spill?
• Is other safety equipment required or recommended when workers are responding?
• How complicated is it for a worker to use a spill kit or respond to a spill?
• Are there Australian standards for spill kits?
• Where can listeners get more information on spill control and spill kits?

In the workplace it is important to manage spills effectively, it only takes a small amount of liquid to have a negative impact, from slip hazards through to more serious concerns such as exposure to hazardous chemicals and the risks of fire and explosion. Not to mention the detrimental environmental concerns if it contaminates waterways, soil, plants and wildlife. A PCBU has a duty of care to provide a safe workplace to the workers on site, but there are additional requirements when it comes to hazardous chemicals. According to work health and safety regulations and state and federal environmental legislation, they must ensure that where a risk of a hazardous chemical spill or leak exists, a spill containment system should be available for the clean-up and disposal. Tune in as we explore spill control in the workplace and look at the various types of spill kits, how they are used and the control measures required to ensure adequate response in a potential emergency situation.

Additional Resources:

• Podcast Transcript
• UK Spill Association
• International Spill Control Organisation
• 3M Sorbents & Spill Management
• 3M Facility Safety

Contact a 3M Safety Specialist at scienceofsafetyanz@mmm.com for more information.