On average, American consumers use around 6 billion barrels of oil annually. Nearly every car-based product on the market uses some form of oil. If you run a mechanics shop, gas station or any other business where oil is stored and used regularly, you need to realize the dangers of oil spills. Regardless of how careful you and your workers are, accidents are bound to happen.
When confronted with an oil spill, you need to act swiftly to mitigate the risks involved. Developing an oil spill response plan is a great way to limit the problems caused by one of these events.
Determine the Risk and Protect Yourself
When confronted with an oil spill, the first thing you need to do is to identify the risk involved. Oil is extremely slick, which means slip and fall accidents can occur. Before you enter the area where this spill has occurred, you need to work on protecting yourself. Having the right personal protection equipment (PPE) on hand is something you should view as a priority.
This equipment should include things like respirators, gloves, goggles and boots. With this equipment, you can mitigate the risks caused by an oil spill. Showing employees where this PPE is located and how to use it properly is also imperative. By educating your employees about the importance of PPE, you can reduce the risk of injury during your oil spill response.
Work On Stopping the Spill
Once you have your PPE on, the next thing you need to assess is where the oil spill is coming from. Stopping the spill at the source is the only way to control the damage being caused. If you store large barrels of oil in your workspace, the source of your leak may be a damaged drum. Identifying which drum or drums are leaking will require a thorough inspection.
You also need to work on containing the spill if possible. This can be done by using a makeshift dam to divert the oil to one area. You can make the oil spill cleanup process more manageable by containing the spill. Failing to take action when an oil spill is discovered can make this experience far more difficult. This is why taking action immediately is a vital part of having success with your oil spill response.
Contact Professionals To Clean Up The Spill
Most business owners will not have the tools or chemicals needed to adequately clean up an oil spill. Trying to perform this cleanup process with subpar tools can lead to long-term problems and environmental hazards. This is why you need to call in experienced professionals to clean up your oil spill.
The spill response team at OPG+ uses a specially designed chemical to remove all traces of oil in a hurry. This chemical is 100% natural and will only leave behind water and CO2. Our chemical can effectively remove synthetic and non-synthetic oils, as well as hydraulic oil.
If you are in need of oil spill cleanup, the team at OPGPlus is here to help.
