DGSM Information Paper No.10 - Spills containment and clean-up ...

CHEM Services
C hemical Hazards and Emergency Management (CHEM) Services
DGSM Information Paper No. 10
Spills Containment and Clean-up
Measures for Dangerous
Goods and Combustible Liquids
under the
Dangerous Goods Safety Management Act 2001
December 2003
Block C, Level 2, Emergency Services Complex, Cnr Park and Kedron Park Roads, KEDRON Qld 4031
GPO Box 1425, BRISBANE Qld 4001
Telephone: (07) 3247 8444 Facsimile: (07) 3247 8433
Website: www.emergency.qld.gov.au/chem

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1
2. Legislative requirements under DGSM ............................................................................. 1
3. Guidance ................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.1 The need for spills containment measures ....................................................................... 1
3.2 Types of spills control and clean-up measures................................................................. 2
3.3 Appropriate materials for use in spill containment measures .......................................... 2
3.4 Capacity of spills containment systems for tanks ............................................................ 3
3.5 Capacity of spills containment systems for package stores ............................................. 4
3.6 Other Issues...................................................................................................................... 4
3.7 Spills clean up measures .................................................................................................. 6
3.8 Approach to spills management in small quantity scenarios ........................................... 7
3.9 Sources of information..................................................................................................... 7
Disclaimer
Any representation, statement, opinion or advice, expressed or implied in this information
paper is made in good faith but on the basis that the State of Queensland, its agent and
employees are not liable (whether by reason of negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any
person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that
person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any representation,
statement or advice referred to above.

1. Introduction
This information paper provides guidance to occupiers of premises in relation to the
management of spills of dangerous goods and combustible liquids under the Dangerous
Goods Safety Management Act 2001 (DGSM Act).
2. Legislative requirements under DGSM
The Dangerous Goods Safety Management Regulation 2001 (DGSM Regulation) requires 1
occupiers of premises where dangerous goods or combustible liquids are present to contain
and clean up a spill of those materials. Appropriate equipment and materials for clean-up
must be kept on hand and be readily accessible.
The management of spills containment and clean-up is part of the general obligation under
section 16 of the DGSM Act to take all reasonable precautions and care to achieve an
acceptable level of risk from dangerous goods and combustible liquids.
Risk is at an acceptable level when risk is minimised as far as reasonably practicable.
(DGSM Act, section 17)
While the Regulation requires only that spills be contained on site, effective management of
the risk generally means that a spill should be contained as close to its source as possible. This
prevents dangerous goods or combustible liquids from running across the site or workplace,
adversely affecting employees, visitors, other on-site operations, other storage and handling
systems, plant, vehicles and other structures.
Because of the risk of fire, close containment with minimum surface area is critical for
flammable and combustible liquids.
3.1 The need for spills containment measures
When determining whether you need to employ spills containment measures and how far you
must go to minimise risk, consider the following factors:
whether the goods are solid or liquid;
the melting point and possible storage temperatures of any solids (important for low
melting point solids);
the behaviour of the materials in normal and abnormal storage conditions (e.g. fire);
the viscosity of liquids;
the quantity of dangerous goods or combustible liquids;
the hazardous properties of the dangerous goods or combustible liquids (can they
cause harm to people, property or the environment?);
1 1 See sections 37, 39 and 73 of the DGSM Regulation
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consideration for the types of emergencies that may occur on site (fire, catastrophic
collapse of a tank, gradual leaks, package punctures, transfer hose/pipeline ruptures,
etc).
the quantity of contaminated fire water that will have to be contained.
3.2 Types of spills control and clean-up measures
The type of measures employed may include the following:
For containment:
− bunding (containment walls around a storage area);
− graded or sloping surfaces;
− drainage to a holding pit, tank or sump;
− trenches or spoon drains;
− a combination of above means;
− drip trays for small packages;
− booms, sand bags and other devices to protect run off into water ways and
drains;
− leak repair kits and other materials for temporary plugging of leaks from tanks
or other vessels;
For clean-up:
− absorbent materials;
− shovels, buckets, mops, bags, over-packs and other equipment;
− pumps and transfer hoses;
For effective management of spills, relevant procedures need to be developed and appropriate
training given to employees in the hazards of the materials and in the procedures. All relevant
procedures, training and other matters should be documented and incorporated into your
safety management system.
3.3 Appropriate materials for use in spill containment measures
When selecting material and equipment to be used for spills containment, you should aim to
ensure the following:
That the materials will be impervious to the spilt material for the likely duration of the
spill;
The materials used in the construction of bunds or other spills clean up and
containment equipment are compatible with the dangerous goods or combustible
liquids.
Two or more materials are compatible if they do not react together adversely to cause
a fire, explosion, harmful reaction, or evolution of flammable, toxic, or corrosive vapours.
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When considering the use of materials for the construction of bund walls and other
containment systems, ensure that the materials will not react adversely with the goods that the
construction materials are meant to contain.
For example, if a metal or galvanised metal surface were used with corrosive liquids such as
hydrochloric acid, a reaction is likely to take place that would liberate hydrogen (a flammable
gas). In the event of a spill, this material would cause an even greater hazard than the spill
alone.
If ordinary concrete were to be used, the hydrochloric acid could cause degradation of the
concrete bund wall compromising the bund’s structural integrity and possibly leading to
failure and loss of containment.
For advice on compatibility, consult the relevant material safety data sheets or contact the
manufacturer, importer or supplier of the materials.
3.4 Capacity of spills containment systems for tanks
For a single tank, it is good practice to provide bunding or other spills containment measures
that will contain at least 100% of the capacity of the tank, together with additional capacity
for freeboard and fire water or foam. Many Australian Standards 2 suggest additional
capacity to contain at least 20 minutes of fire water from a hose or fixed fire protection
system. You should consider the actual fire protection system output flow rate rather than the
design flow rate, which may be lower.
Where two or more tanks are stored within one containment system, it is good practice to use
a general formula for determining capacity as follows:
100% of the capacity of the largest tank (or IBC); plus
25% of the total capacity of the tanks; plus
An additional capacity for fire water or foam fire fighting systems.
Ensure the displacement volume of any additional tanks is taken into account when
determining the appropriate bund capacity.
Tanks and Packages under DGSM
For Class 2 dangerous goods, a tank is a storage container with a capacity of 500 litres
or more (equivalent water capacity).
For other Classes of dangerous goods a tank is a container with either a net mass of
400 kg or a capacity of 450 litres. Under this definition, an IBC is considered to be a
“tank”.
Anything smaller in capacity than a tank is classed as a package.
2 A list of relevant Australian Standards is provided at the end of this paper.
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3.5 Capacity of spills containment systems for package stores
For package stores it is recommended in most circumstances to apply the following approach
to determine the capacity of the spills containment system:
100 % of the capacity of the largest package; plus
25 % of the maximum intended storage capacity up to 10 000 litres; plus
an additional 10 % of the capacity in excess of 10 000 litres; plus
an additional capacity for fire water.
For example, if a package store contains 15,000 litres of packaged dangerous goods and the
largest container is 200 litres, the containment capacity would be calculated as follows:
200 + 2500 + 500 = 3200 litres plus additional fire water capacity
3.6 Other Issues
Storage of Incompatible Goods
Occupiers need to ensure that tanks of incompatible dangerous goods are never stored within
the same spill containment area. Tanks of incompatible goods should be located in separate
spill containment areas.
Incompatible dangerous goods must not be stored in the same spill catchment area because
of the potential for the materials to react dangerously together. Other compatible dangerous
goods may be stored in the same catchment area provided appropriate distances are observed.
At least 3 metres segregation distance would be appropriate for goods that do not react
dangerously.
All incompatible dangerous goods of Packing Group I or II should be assumed to react
dangerously, unless it can be proven otherwise. Concentrated acids and alkalis are examples
of incompatible goods that may react dangerously together.
Distance from containers to bund wall
Bunded compounds need to be constructed so as to ensure that punctures or ruptures of
containers do not cause a jet of liquid to pass over the edge of the bund wall. Certain
minimum distances should be maintained between any container and its bund wall.
Many Australian Standards recommend at least 1metre distance between a tank wall and its
bund wall, measured from the top inside edge of the bund wall to the outermost edge of the
tank surface.
This distance may increase depending on the height of the container. A good rule of thumb is
to ensure that containers sit further from the top inside edge of the bund wall than the line
defined by angle A in Figure 1 3 (the illustration is for a horizontal cylindrical tank on a stand).
The distance to the bund wall should ensure that the angle A is more than 26.5˚. In other
words, the ratio of the horizontal distance over the vertical distance from the tank edge must
be greater than 0.5.
3
Adapted from Figure 5.2(b) in Australian Standard AS 1940 “Storage and Handling of Flammable and
Combustible Liquids”.
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Bund wall
Cylindrical tank
on stand
Figure 1: Bund location relative to tank
Determination of Angle “A”
tan A = opposite/adjacent
= ½
= 0.5
A = 26.5˚ (or more)
An occupier may be able to demonstrate that reduced distances are acceptable due to viscosity
or other considerations such as a splash barrier placed on top of a bund wall. Stacking of
packages such as drums close to a bund wall is also problematic. A fallen package may
rupture, spilling its contents. If the stacked packages are positioned too close to the bund wall,
a fallen package may land outside the bunded area where spilled contents will not be
contained. Again a barrier may be erected to overcome this.
Locate pumps and other equipment outside the bund
Pumps and other equipment should not be located inside the bunded compound, where they
may be flooded by a spill.
Drainage
The drainage valve for a bunded compound should normally be kept closed. If the valve is
left open, the compound will not be effective in containing a spillage.
If rainwater accumulates in the compound, it should be removed because it reduces the
effective capacity of the compound. Consideration could be given to providing a roof over
the compound to reduce rainwater accumulation.
Access and egress
When considering spill containment design, provision for access and egress should be given
careful consideration. Bunds or other spills containment systems should be designed to allow
for the escape of a person in an emergency as well as facilitate ease of access to carry out
maintenance, repair or emergency work. If fixed means of access, ladders or walkways are
provided then it is recommended that these meet the requirements of AS 1657 “Fixed
platforms, walkways, stairways, and ladders-design construction and installation”.
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Housekeeping
Housekeeping in spills containment systems such as
bunded areas is important. The bunded compound
should not be cluttered with debris and packages or
other materials that may contribute to a fire or take up
the bund capacity. Figure 2 shows an example of poor
housekeeping practices in a bunded area filled with
rubbish and left over containers.
Figure 2: Poor housekeeping
in bunded area
3.7 Spills clean up measures
General
Spills must be cleaned up as soon as possible. Where practicable, recovery of spilled materials
for re-use is preferable to disposal. Work procedures, safety management systems and
training ought to address safe work methods and the types of equipment for spills clean-up
and re-use/disposal. Advice on how to clean up spills safely and selecting appropriate
protective equipment and resources can be obtained from the manufacturer’s MSDS. Many
relevant Australian Standards also provide good advice.
Equipment
Any premises where liquid dangerous goods or combustible liquids are stored or handled
needs to have a spills kit/s that contains appropriate materials and equipment. The types of
materials and equipment needed to clean up spills will vary depending on the nature and
quantity of goods stored or handled. The kit should be regularly maintained. Suitable
materials and equipment may include the following:
absorbent materials in sufficient quantities:
− sand, kitty litter, fuller’s earth, etc;
− proprietary absorbents (sheets, rolls, pillows);
neutralising media such as:
− sodium carbonate (washing soda), calcium hydroxide (hydrated lime) or
calcium carbonate (limestone) for acidic spills;
− citric acid or acetic acid for alkaline spills;
− sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) for both acidic and alkaline spills;
equipment for recovering spilled materials, such as:
− shovels and scoops;
− portable pumps and hoses for transferring spilt liquids (suitable for the
liquids);
containers for recovered materials such as:
− impervious to and compatible with the spilled materials;
− over-packs (for placing leaking drums within);
personal protective equipment such as:
− chemical boots, splash aprons, splash shields, respiratory protection. Refer to
manufacturer’s MSDS for advice.
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3.8 Approach to spills management in small quantity scenarios
Where very small quantities of dangerous goods or combustible liquids are stored or handled
(e.g. consumer packages) it may not be necessary to use expensive spills containment systems
such as bunded compounds.
However, it will still be necessary to ensure that simple spills containment systems and
procedures are put in place. For example, it may be appropriate to place drip trays underneath
small packages of hazardous liquids and to provide appropriate absorbent materials and
protective equipment.
3.9 Sources of information
The following Australian Standards may provide guidance in relation to spills management
for dangerous goods and combustible liquids:
AS 1894-1997
The storage and handling of non-flammable cryogenic and
refrigerated liquids
AS 1940-1993 Storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids
AS 2714-1993 The storage and handling of hazardous chemical materials-Class
5.2 substances (organic peroxides)
AS 4326-1995 The storage and handling of oxidizing agents
AS 2507-1984 The storage and handling of pesticides
AS 4081-1993 The storage, handling and transport of liquid and liquefied
polyfunctional isocyanates
AS 3780-1994 The storage and handling of corrosive substances
AS 3833-1995 The storage and handling of mixed classes of dangerous goods in
packages and intermediate containers
AS 3846-1998 The handling and transport of dangerous cargoes in port areas.
AS 2243.10-1993 Safety in laboratories Part 10 - storage of chemicals
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