How To Deal With Chemical Spills

• Prepare an emergency chemical spill plan
• Store chemicals safely
• Warn others and evacuate the area
• Evaluate the risks
• Call in the professionals immediately
  • We're ready to help

Dealing with chemical spills requires a lot of preparation, including providing employees with training and organising an emergency plan. As an employer, it is your responsibility to protect those under your charge.

At ICE Cleaning, our chemical spill cleaners operate nationwide, day or night. We use the latest industry equipment to deliver fantastic results to our customers, always putting your safety first.

Continue reading our blog to discover how to deal with a chemical spill. 

Prepare an emergency chemical spill plan

In every business that handles chemicals, there should be an emergency plan in place in case a spill takes place.

The plan will be made up of different elements, from detailing your evacuation and warning procedure, to where your chemical spill kit is stored. Check out our recent blog to find out more about what you should store in your emergency spill kit.

Make sure that you are familiar with the chemicals used in each part of the business, and that the equipment required in a spillage is readily available. A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) should also be accessible, as this lists hazards of the chemical as well as other important information. 

As part of the plan, ensure all your employees are familiar with it, and receive regular training to know how to react if a spill happens. It is important to implement practices like this because chemicals carry a multitude of health risks.

Store chemicals safely

All chemicals must be stored safely, and only handled by those with professional training. 

The storage facility must be isolated from other areas and be fully secure.

Put up signs and clear warnings for employees and potential visitors to not enter a site where chemicals are stored, for their own safety. All containers need to be properly sealed, and regular inspections undertaken to check for any problems. 

Warn others and evacuate the area

Once a spill has occurred, you must alert the requisite staff and isolate the affected area. Follow the procedures set out in your emergency spill plan and industry safety regulations for details on how to act.

Your evacuation plan will come into effect after spill, and the location must be closed off to stop contamination. Notify nearby businesses and environment agencies if the spill impacts them, as well as the emergency services.

If anyone has come into contact with the chemical, make sure you adhere to all laws and safety practices to ensure their well-being and yours.

At ICE Cleaning, we provide hazardous waste removal. Our experts are fully qualified to dispose of any harmful chemicals at an appointed removal site. Just mention it to a member of the team when you get in touch if this is something you need.

Evaluate the risks

When using chemicals, make sure you evaluate the risks. This could involve how many employees are working in the area, where the nearest fire exits are, and what personal protective equipment (PPE) staff should wear.

To prevent accidents from happening, regular maintenance checks should be undertaken. This will identify if there are any issues and allow you to get it sorted as soon as possible.

After a spillage, the relevant employee will need to evaluate the risks in the area, such as whether there is anything the chemical could react with or what the extent of the damage is.

Call in the professionals immediately

Unless you have qualified persons on site to clean a chemical spill, you should not attempt to treat the substance. You could end up making the situation worse, or cause harm to yourself or others.

Call in a chemical spill cleaning company, such as us at ICE Cleaning, who has years of experience in this kind of clean. In emergencies, our team can be on site within the hour to begin work. You can be safe in the knowledge that we will work hard to restore your environment to a safe condition.

Our experts are versed in all aspects of chemical spill cleaning, from containing the spill to performing a thorough decontamination of the area.

The health and safety of our staff and customers is imperative, which is why we follow stringent safety procedures throughout the clean. To this end, we are proud to have received multiple industry accreditations. This includes from the following industry-leading health organisations:

• BCSc
• IOSH
• IPAF
• Safe Contractor

We're ready to help

At ICE Cleaning, we provide high-quality chemical spill cleaning services. Get in touch with our team on 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk for more information.

Please note that the information in this blog is by no means exhaustive. Each workplace must follow government regulations and laws, as well as its individual procedures, in all aspects of dealing with chemicals. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) provides more detail on this.