As unfortunate as it may seem, spills are an unavoidable hazard for people who work in garages, warehouses, repair shops and any other business in which machinery is used. The best way to combat spills is to have a spill kit readily available. A full spill kit will consist of various sorbent pads, granulated medium, a dedicated broom and dust pan set and latex gloves.

Having a well developed response plan is the first step in creating a safe environment. Each person who works on the production floor of a facility or at a job site should be trained in the use of liquid spill removal. The process of cleaning the spill starts with opening a spill containment kit and defining a perimeter so the spill doesn't flow across the work floor. If it is an oil spill, oil sorbent pads can be immediately placed within the perimeter of the containment area. These pads will soak up a majority of the spill. Once they have absorbed as much of the spill as is possible, the pads can be disposed of. The floor will still contain remnants of the spill and must be treated with a granulated medium. The medium is spread over the entire contaminated area and then swept up into a dust pan. This will leave the area free of any residual liquids.

The presence of a spill kit on site allows spills to be taken care of immediately, reducing the risk of slip and fall accidents. Using a spill containment kit equipped with oil sorbent pads can help a business or home work area remain productive even in the event of a major spill. Once the spill is secured and the cleanup has begun, other workers can continue in their assigned tasks. This results in both a more efficient and safer work environment.

While oil is one of the most common liquid spills it is not the only one. This is important to realize because oil sorbent pads and regular sorbent pads are comprised of different absorbent materials. The oil pads will not be effective in soaking up other types of liquids, such as water. Using the proper tools for the proper job will result in better performance and a longer working life for the spill containment kit.

Even though spills are an everyday concern for businesses they don’t have to be feared. Having a clearly defined plan on how to handle them and employees that are properly trained to handle the clean up equipment can ensure that they won't cause any major problems in daily operations.