Don’t panic! How to handle chemical spills

April 11, 2023

Whenever we think of chemical spills, we tend to conjure images of big factories and toxic dumps. However, chemical spills pertain to a lot more than that and can even be dangerous on a small scale.

Chemicals are present in all settings – our homes, offices, factories and warehouses. Just think of everyday items such as paints, detergents and pesticides.

Although useful, these substances hold risks when they are made, used, transported and disposed of. In the UK, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations determine how chemicals should be manufactured, packaged, labelled, supplied, stored and used.

You may find that only certain parts of this law apply to your business. However, you should familiarise yourself with all the stipulations to ensure that you have the right equipment and training in place to handle incidents.

Chemical spills endanger the health of employees in different ways. Substances can be toxic, explosive, flammable or corrosive. Each affects people’s wellbeing differently. Contact with these chemicals when not fully prepared with the right training and safety equipment leads to serious injuries and even death.

Exposure happens through inhalation, skin absorption and ingestion. Dangers include:

• Chemical burns.
• Damage to the mouth, skin, lungs, eyes, nose or throat.
• Respiratory and cardiac distress.
• Blindness.

These hazards also harm your business operations. Extensive spills can also impact neighbouring businesses. 

How to correctly identify a chemical spill

Identifying a spilt chemical is essential for COSHH safety. When you know what you’re dealing with, you can decide on the PPE and type of spill kit needed for clean-up.

Standard spill kits contain a bin, absorbent socks, cushions and pads, disposal bags and basic PPE. You can supplement your basic resources with specialised PPE and substance-specific spill kits.

Under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulations, employers must use a material safety data sheet (MSDS) to help identify on-site chemicals. This document provides details of chemicals and is used as an aid during risk assessments. An MSDS:

• Describes the physical properties and container of a chemical.
• Details the dangers of the material.
• Contains guidelines on storage, use and emergency actions in case of a spill.

 The REACH regulations require that your business has an up-to-date MSDS. This means inspecting and listing on-site chemicals regularly. After doing so, you can use the COSHH e-tool to carry out risk assessments.

Another way of identifying a chemical is by reading the label on the container. This gives you instant information in an emergency.

Once you’ve identified the spilt chemical, you can implement the right actions. Some of these responses include: 

• Calling emergency services if the spill cannot be contained in-house.
• If in-house containment and clearance are possible, you can assign people to clear up the spill with the correct chemical spill kit and PPE.

Depending on the nature of the spill, your employees may need PPE such as respirators to protect them against vapours. Sometimes, it’s even necessary to issue protective clothing and safety gloves. That’s why a COSHH assessment must detail the chemical dangers and everything needed to address them.

You can also use safety labels to highlight the specific risks of chemicals. These tags point out dangers such as corrosive or asbestos hazards.

Containing and controlling a chemical spill

Containing and controlling chemical spills prevent spreading and damage to the environment and people. To do this, you need the right equipment to tackle chemical spills.

As stated, your MSDS must contain the needed information on all chemicals on your premises. This not only helps with your COSHH risk assessment, but also highlights the equipment needed.

The first step in managing chemical spills is containment. Quick action to control a spill keeps it isolated. You can use one or a combination of the following to prevent spills from entering the environment:

• Absorbent socks.
• Absorbent pads.
• Spill cushions.
• Sandbags or other barriers. 

Magnetic, neoprene or polyurethane drain covers prevent liquids from getting into water systems. You can also use an overpack or spill pallet to contain leaks from damaged drums.

COSHH-approved spill kits contain basic spill containment equipment. Your sorbents and relevant PPE come in a handy wheelie bin that’s easy to handle so that you can get everything you need to a spill site in one go.

Remember, different absorbent materials contain different spills. For example, you may need one kit for oils and fuels and another for acids and bases.

Cleaning and disposal

Once a spill is contained, you can stabilise the chemicals by diluting them or adding a neutralising agent. This allows workers to safely clean up the spill.

Used sorbents should be placed in designated disposal bags – these are often included in spill kits. Always follow legally approved methods of disposal to prevent secondary damage and harm. Lastly, rinse the spill area well before carrying on with work activities.

Sometimes, disposal means treatment at an appropriate waste plant. You can only dispose of dangerous materials at a landfill site after treating and neutralising the dangers.

Certain chemicals and materials cannot be disposed of at a landfill site. These are:

• Explosives.
• Corrosives.
• Flammable agents.
• Oxidising substances.

It’s therefore essential to train your workers or designated spill control representatives in the management of chemical spills. These employees should know everything from where to access spill kits, to containing a spill and cleaning the area.

This means that you need to devise a response plan in line with your risk assessment. You may also need to develop different procedures for different types of spills. For example, you’ll manage corrosive spills differently from flammable liquid spills.

Reporting and documentation

Paperwork can be a hassle, but when it comes to chemical spills, documented events are a well of information on why spills occur and what can be done for better management.

You must also report a spill to the correct authorities. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013 puts a duty on employers to report chemical spill incidents that caused injury and damage.

Pollution incidents can be reported by calling the UK Pollution Hotline. The steps outlined above are your go-to safety measures to prevent the spread of chemical spills.

Employee training

As mentioned, employee training regarding chemical spills is a must, whether it’s specific or general training.

All employees should know about the types of chemicals in the workplace and what to do when a spill occurs. This may include identifying the chemical and notifying the safety representative. Specific training for safety representatives includes: 

• Identifying chemicals.
• Getting a spill kit and cordoning off the affected area.
• Wearing the required PPE for containment. This means that your employees must also be trained in things such as donning boiler suits, protective gloves or respirators.
• Applying the right barriers, such as a sandbag, to contain the spill.
• Covering nearby drains with drain covers to prevent spreading.
• Applying sorbents to absorb the spill.
• Diluting and neutralising the floor area.
• Correctly disposing of materials.

Health and safety in the workplace are non-negotiable. Chemical spills can cause extensive damage to the environment and serious injuries to people. Your risk assessment, MSDS, and the correct equipment and PPE are the cornerstones of your COSHH safety.