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For any business or individual who stores large quantities of hazardous materials, managing the risk of spills and leaks is an important task. Incidents happen even in the most careful workplaces. If liquids such as oil, petrol, solvents, or industrial chemicals escape their containers, it can be dangerous and costly. They can harm workers, delay productivity, and pollute the environment.

Liquid storage requirements

If you are a business that produces, stores, or transports any hazardous liquid substances, you are required to

• “Ensure that liquid substances stored or used at your site are managed so that they do not enter the environment (unless permitted to do so by a license, or by approval or agreement from the relevant authority)”
• “Ensure that any liquid leaving your site is properly transported and will be delivered to an appropriate receiving site, which also contains suitable risk mitigation mechanisms”

(Source: Environment Protection Agency Victoria, Liquid Storage and Handling Guidelines, June 2018)

Bunded pallets are one of the most effective and practical ways to fulfill these requirements. A “bund” is the impermeable raised boundary used to contain a spill. A “bunded pallet” is a specially manufactured container that stores other, smaller liquid storage units. In the event of a spill, the pallet will catch and contain the liquid.

There are a few important reasons why a business should invest in bunded pallets.

1. Reduce spill cleaning time

Spills are costly. Every moment spent cleaning up an incident is time wasted; spills impact your operating efficiency and result in the loss of product. Bunded pallets massively reduce clean-up time by proactively containing a spill, making it quicker and easier to get back to work.

2. Protect human health

Minimising contact between workers and spilled substances is essential. This is especially true if you are stocking hazardous industrial chemicals such as acids or solvents, which may have special storage requirements dictated by WorkSafe or Australian Standards. Depending on the type of materials you are storing, you may choose metal or poly bunded pallets. For example, if you were storing an acid, you would not choose a metal bunded pallet as it will corrode. Instead, you would choose a poly bunded pallet, which is acid-resistant. It is important to plan carefully to protect workers from exposure to harmful spills.

3. Protect environmental health

If toxic materials escape into the natural environment, the consequences can be devastating. Spills can cause serious damage to waterways, fragile ecosystems, and wildlife. Poorly managed environmental harm can also result in substantial fines and even criminal convictions. These are preventable outcomes that can be avoided with proactive safety technology like bunded pallets.

4. Protect your business’s reputation

On top of the environmental impact, the reputational impact of poorly managing the storage of hazardous materials can be severe. Businesses that are responsible for hazardous chemical incidents often receive damaging bad publicity. This is just another reason to purchase bunded pallets as part of an effective site management strategy.

 Common questions about bunded pallets

• Which size of bunded pallet do I need?
• Which material of bunded pallet do I need?
• How can I get bunded pallets delivered quickly to my site?

The team at Accumax Global are industry experts who are here to help businesses manage risk and maximise safety. We can talk you through our range of poly and metal bunded pallets to find the right solution for you. Get in touch today.