Spill Control Solutions for Marine locations

Spill solutions for marine locations is predominantly based on recovering or preventing spills of an oil-based nature.

What type of absorbent is best suited for Marine environments?

More often than not absorbents designed just to recover oil-based fluids will be more suitable and practicable. For more general maintenance and servicing purposes absorbents that recover both oil-and water-based fluids at the same time will be better suited.

White coloured Oil Only absorbents are hydrophobic. They absorb oil-based fluids but repel water-based fluids. For locations on-board a vessel, in or on large bodies of fresh or saltwater subjected to weather exposure, Oil only absorbents are particularly suited, as they will only recover oil-based fluids without taking up up any water.

Grey/black Maintenance absorbents are hydrophilic and take up both water-based fluids along with oil-based fluids at the same time. These are the best all-round option for recovering spills of any type but would be compromised if submersed in water.

In most instances white Oil only absorbents will be best suited to the vast majority of tasks involved in marine locations. For more generic interior cleaning, a grey Maintenance absorbent will cover the tasks at hand.

Environmentally friendly options

As a limited alternative to the above we offer a range of environmentally friendlier absorbents. These are either made from recycled meltblown polypropylene or are made from cellulose natural fibres. These environmentally friendly absorbents can be included towards achieving an ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard.

Natural fibre Oil only absorbents are not particularly suited to complete immersion in water, so it is best to avoid these if recovering oil from large bodies of freshwater or saltwater.

Choosing an environmentally friendly absorbent needs to be considered carefully as a used or contaminated absorbent will need to be disposed of exactly the same way as a meltblown polypropylene absorbent.

What absorbent formats are best suited to Marine markets?

Pads are available in different weights (light- through to -heavy weights) and also in un-bonded, bonded and laminated constructions. As a guide, the heavier the weight, the more fluid it will absorb. With regards to the construction, laminated pads are stronger and feature less linting (stray fibres becoming detached), bonded pads are slightly more absorbent, and un-bonded pads the most absorbent but not as strong. For wiping, rubbing and general cleaning we generally recommend a medium weight single laminate Maintenance pad. For oil-based spill recovery on bodies of water we recommend an un-bonded Oil-only pad.

Rolls are exactly the same as pads but instead are formed of longer lengths of absorbent rolled up. Rolls of absorbent are ideal for rolling out over larger areas to collect spilled or leaked fluids. We recommend a single laminate absorbent with the meltblown core face down when used next to machinery. This maximises the absorption of fluids whilst reducing the slip risk. For recovering oil-based spills on foreshores un-bonded oil only absorbent roll is best.

Socks and Pillows are used to collect spills or leaks from around or beneath engines or machinery. Socks are used to contain the fluid by providing a barrier whilst also absorbing the liquid. Pillows are for capturing leaks or spills under machinery that are too big for a pad.

Drum Tops sit inside the rim of a standard oil-drum and capture spills involved in transferring fluids.

Booms are long flexible tubes of absorbent that can be floated on the water surface to surround and prevent spills or leaks from spreading whilst also absorbing the fluid. These are available in different lengths. Stainless steel eyes and snap-hooks allow multiple booms to be attached together to form long floating barrages. A 20 cm diameter boom is available for conditions where larger waves are present. A smaller 13cm diameter boom is available for inshore locations.

Sweeps are long ‘curtains’ of polypropylene that are designed to be towed behind a boat or to collect the final sheen of oil from the surface of the water.

Safety-first High-Visibility absorbents  

Our Spillfyter high-visibility range of absorbents are an excellent choice for areas of hard floor surfaces that see regular foot fall. These high-visibility absorbents are perfect for drawing attention to and warning of the slip-risk of spilled or leaked fluids whilst also recovering the spill or leaked fluid at the same time. These high visibility absorbents can be used onboard freight or passenger vessels. They are also ideal for use at on-shore facilities like harbours and passenger embarkation points where slip prevention needs to be addressed on hard surfaces.

Bright yellow in colour, these absorbents will recover both oil-based and water-based fluids. They are made from meltblown polypropylene, which ensures they will not react with any chemicals present so are a perfect go-to first choice.

For potentially dangerous liquid spills the high-visibility absorbent with warning text in three languages and graphics warns of the slip risk and recovers the leak or spill at the same time.

This range is available in pads, rolls, and wipes. They also feature a handy range of boxed dispensers and warning stands.

Protecting the workforce, passengers and environment

For unexpected spills and leaks it is essential to have the correct liquid safety solutions in place to be able to respond accordingly. In most cases a spill kit or range of strategically located and readily available spill kits will provide all the absorbents and a container(s) needed to recover the spill.

Marine Spill Kits are available in a range of sizes to cope with oil-based fluid spills in marine and freshwater environments. They contain both the absorbents and equipment required to recover a spill or leak. With a ‘polluter pays’ policy it is easy to see how these spill kits can pay for themselves.

Bio-hazard Spill Kits are compact spill kits that are portable or easy to store ready for use when needed. They provide everything required to contain, recover and dispose of bodily fluid spills whilst protecting from the risks associated with contamination or infection. These can be particularly suitable for on-board ferries and passenger vessels of all sizes.

The cost of pollution

In the UK there is a policy of the ‘polluter pays’. This ‘payment’ is two-fold though, as the polluter will not only have to pay the costs of recovering the spill and any resulting damage costs. The second part is a financial fine which can often be large and crippling to a business. There is also the chance that those responsible can also face criminal prosecution. So you can see it is essential to try and mitigate against any spill or leak risks and have an action plan in place if a spill does occur.

Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)

See the Health and Safety Executive COMAH information here https://www.hse.gov.uk/comah/

Site Surveys and Spill Recovery training

To help you identify spill and leak risks we can provide a site survey. An experienced and highly knowledgeable member of our team can attend a site to assess and provide a written report identifying the risks. Along with the risk identification, a suggestions of liquid safety solutions will be made available.

To allow a business’s employees to better respond to a spill we can provide spill training to ensure that in the event of a spill everybody knows how to safely respond and follow a set procedure.