Prepare and Maintain a Spill Management Plan

Facilities should develop an emergency response plan to deal with any spills or chemical releases. Not only does a robust spill management plan help ensure the safety of the employees, but it can also ensure that other damages and impacts are minimized. Responding to a spill promptly and appropriately can help protect employees, the environment, equipment, and other resources.

The first step of developing such a plan is to perform a risk assessment to determine where spills could potentially occur, including work areas, storage areas, loading zones, and waste disposal areas. After these areas are defined, specific measures on how to handle a spill can then be established. This should involve measures including spill prevention, proper clean-up, and proper disposal of any cleaning supplies used during the clean-up.

Once the plan is developed, all employees should be trained on the spill management plan, including how to use any spill clean-up equipment. Additionally, the necessary cleaning supplies and equipment should be easily accessible in areas where spills have the potential to occur.

On a routine basis, the spill management plan should be reviewed and revised as necessary. When changes to processes or procedures occur, it is also important to review the spill management plan and ensure it reflects any changes necessary due to changes in the facility.

A spill management plan ensures that everyone at the facility knows what to do in the event of a spill, minimizing risk to personnel or other resources.