Which spill kit do I need and what are the different colour spill kits for?

When working with chemicals, oils, fuels, and other potentially hazardous liquids in the workplace it is vital to have the correct spill kits at hand where there could be a potential risk of onsite spillages or pollution. 

Spill kits contain absorbent materials specifically designed to soak up any accidental spills quickly and safely. It is also a requirement to have a deliverable workplace spill response plan in place with any necessary signage and fully trained staff in the event of any spill incident. 

The most common types of spill kit absorbent materials are pads, socks, pillows, and perforated rolls which are all colour coded to safely work with the spillage they’re designed for and ease of identification. 

There are three main different types of spill kit which are all available in different sizes to suit the workplace risk requirement. Typically spill kit sizes range from simple 20 Litre grab bags to wheelie bins and lockers of 120, 240, 360, 400, 600, 800 and 1100 Litres in size. 

Places of work which typically require onsite spill kits are, as example, garages, hospitals, laboratories, breweries, manufacturing, and chemical facilities. 

General maintenance spill kits (grey).

Maintenance spill kit absorbents are colour coded grey in accordance with BS 7959 part 3 and are suitable for use on water-based liquids, coolant, cutting fluid, oils, fuels, mild solvents, and hydrocarbons (oil and fuel). 

Chemical / Hazmat spill kits (yellow).

Chemical spill kit absorbents are colour coded yellow in accordance with BS 7959 part 3 and will absorb almost any liquid from water through to hazardous materials such as corrosive acids, solvents, and aggressive chemicals. 

Oil selective spill kits (white and blue).

Oil and fuel spill kit absorbents are colour coded white and blue in accordance with BS7959 part 3 and are designed to repel water and only absorb oil and fuel hydrocarbons. The absorbent materials are also designed to float on water so more effective at cleaning up hydrocarbon spills. 

At Roadware we provide a comprehensive range of spill kits and absorbents including general maintenance, chemical / hazmat, oil selective, adblue, and body fluid varieties to enable you to safely respond to any spill in the workplace.