Sulphuric Acid Emergency Spill Response Case Study
We have a 24-hour emergency oil spill response service which is available nationwide.
The Task
In April 2022, the LCM Spill Response team were called to attend a highly secure site to clean up an emergency Sulphuric Acid Spill.
The spill was caused by a pump failure, leading to 100,000L of sulphuric acid and water filling up the bund and staying contained until our team arrived. Luckily, the tank was in an outside bunded area, and no vapour was built up on site.
As soon as our client found out about the spill, he contacted us on our Emergency Spill Response number: 0345 646 5452, where he was connected to one of our Spill Response project managers. He was instantly mobilised and arrived on site to evaluate the situation. He sent over the MSDS sheets of the products to familiarise our team with the chemical.
Further to this, Grahame took full control of arranging the spill response, gathering a team of three responders and a jet vacuum unit. All health and safety paperwork were drawn and promptly sent over to our client to sign.
Our emergency spill project manager, Grahame, arrived on site within an hour of receiving the call. His team followed suit and was at the site of the spill just 2.5 hours after the initial contact.
The team was thoroughly debriefed by the project manager on the nature of the chemical and the most appropriate course of action. All staff put on their chemical-resistant suits to start pumping the liquid into IBC due to the ph. level of sulphuric acid. The usual tankers that would collect the spill are steel-lined, and the acid would affect their composure over time; hence, our team collected all liquid in IBCs – which are made of plastic and perfectly safe to use for this purpose.
As you can see in the image above, our team of spill response operators are in full gear and busy at work at this emergency spill response site. Operator 1 is at the bund stairs, with a chemically sealed diaphragm pump, sucking out the liquid from the containment. Operators 2&3 are at the IBCs, controlling the liquid levels and filling in the plastic containers with the sulphuric acid and water mixture.
Chemical-resistant spill kits were used accordingly around the IBCs and the pump. Our client keeps a range of spill response kits on site which is maintained by our project manager on a monthly basis to keep the client compliant.
Most of the client’s onsite staff were trained to deal with small spills, but no major measures were undertaken as this one was on a bigger scale, and all were contained within the bund. All spill management procedures occurred following the arrival of Grahame and his team of spill responders.
The Outcome
The Sulphuric acid spill was all contained in IBCs, which were then arranged to be put in line outside of the bunded area. Our team placed chemical spill booms around the full IBCs in case of any container leaks.
Once the bunded area was clear of all sulphuric acid and water, the bund was hot jet washed. The interceptor was then checked for Ph levels, and the client had the pumps replaced with new ones to stop any further leaks and spills.
Based on the level of service the LCM Emergency Spill Response team has provided for our client and his business, he is now fully signed up for a 24-hour emergency spill response for all his sites across the UK.
In conclusion, we’d like to emphasise the professional and rapid spill response our LCM team provides on both Planned Preventative Maintenance service and an Ad-hoc basis. We facilitate your business management, taking on the role of a protector in case any unforeseen spills occur and threaten your company’s integrity, reputation, and environmental dedication. We fuel your advancement in every environment.
In case of a spill, report it in the form here or call us on 0345 646 5452.