Saturday, September 7, 2013

A Spill Containment Berm Meets Requirements And Saves Money

By Helene Norris


The cities and residential developments a large portion of the population lives in are complicated construction marvels. Commonplace worldwide, they require sophisticated skills and the construction uses a large variety of caustic chemicals, placing nearby people at a risk most never consider. The mitigation most often used for this threat is the humble simple spill containment berm.

For the majority of people, the physical construction of the buildings and infrastructure of a city happen by magic, and they give little thought to the details of how it is done. The reality is that there are a lot of dangers involved with building construction and demolition. The amount of hazardous material at such work sites is surprisingly high, considering the low level of mishaps.

The release of hazardous material is carefully monitored, yet there are still byproducts of the construction which are unavoidable. The larger and more complicated the facility, the longer it takes to build. During the process, the open partial structure is affected by whatever weather happens to befall it, washing dust and contaminants away.

With care, much can be isolated on site, but some material is so dangerous that none can be allowed into the environment. In demolition, a seriously problematic issue is asbestos, widely used in buildings not just for insulation in the walls and ceilings, but even in electrical wires and duct work. Keeping this material contained, while having to wash down the site during physical demolition is a complex matter.

In addition to the necessary chemicals and products that area part of the process of construction every work site has the need for equipment and tools which all run on some kind of power. The heavy machinery is most likely run via internal combustion engines, and the equipment is powered by mobile power generators. All of this requires the most commonly used hazardous material; fossil fuels.

While every site strives for a perfect safety record, statistics show that human error often finds its way into even the most diligently vigilant crew of professionals. AS a result, a variety of technological solutions has been developed to handle the occasional liquid Keeping the fluid from escaping into the environment is a paramount concern, but being able to recover the spilled material is an added bonus.

Keeping an adequate supply of diesel fuel at the work site is important for efficiency and convenience, but since gas is so explosive, it must be treated carefully. It is such a commonly used chemical, however that most are casual when using it, a concern for fire departments everywhere. The potential for danger is so great that governments have crafted strict legislation handling the storage at a work area.

The common thread with such regulation is that not only must the storage tank meet requirements, it must be position in an area that has the ability to contain it after a spill or leak. Using a spill containment berm lined with approved thickness plastic is the most logical mediation. It also allows for the secondary recovery of the material for reuse, minimizing loss.




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