When and Where to Use Spill Containment on Land Products

Spill Containment on Land: When You Need It and Where to Use It

Spill containment on land isn’t just for “big” facilities. It’s needed anywhere there’s a realistic chance of a spill that could reach soil, drains or waterways.

When is spill containment on land required?

You should plan for spill containment on land whenever you store, handle, transfer, or transport liquids that could harm people or the environment if they escape. Typical situations include:

• Storing drums or IBCs of oils, fuels, chemicals or liquid wastes
• Refuelling vehicles or plant on-site
• Loading and unloading liquids from trucks, tankers or totes
• Operating generators, pumps, hydraulics or plants that use fuel or oil
• When licences, approvals or management systems require a spill response/spill management plan
  Regulators and best-practice guidance generally expect secondary containment wherever hazardous liquids are stored or used, so that spills are contained before they can migrate off-site.

Key point: spill containment on land should be in place before normal operations start, not only after a spill happens.

Where should spill containment on land be used?

You should apply spill containment on land anywhere spills are likely and could cause harm to people, assets or the environment, such as:

Workshops & maintenance areas – oils, lubricants, coolants and parts washers
Warehouses & storage yards – drum and IBC storage, chemical rooms, decanting areas
Construction & mining sites – around fuel tanks, bowsers, service trucks and plant parking areas
Agricultural properties – near fuel storage, spray sheds and chemical mixing areas
Industrial facilities & depots – near loading docks, process lines and waste handling zones
Near drains, sumps, slopes or unsealed ground – anywhere a spill could quickly run off or soak in

Spill kit and containment placement guidance consistently highlights storage areas, transfer points, loading docks and storm drains as critical locations.

A good rule of thumb: if a spill in that spot could run, soak in or wash away, you should have spill containment on land in place.

What to do next?

• Mark your high-risk areas on a site plan. Highlight storage areas, refuelling points, drains and slopes.
• Check what’s already in place. Inspect current bunds, pallets, trays and spill kits for condition and adequacy.
• Close the gaps. Prioritise missing or undersized containment where a spill could quickly enter drains, soil or waterways.