Preventing

slip-ups
when storing, moving and
dispensing liquids

Workplace accidents caused by people slipping on spilt liquids

cause injuries and cost organisations their reputations,
operations and profitability.

This paper details how to properly store, transport and

dispense liquids around your facility to minimise risk and
ensure legal compliance.

It is likely to be of special interest if you hold any of the

following positions:

• Maintenance Manager
• Technical Specialist
• Operations or Production Manager
• Engineer
• Purchasing Officer
• Stores Manager
• Administrator
• Company Executive or Director
• Laboratory Technician
• Warehouse Manager
• Environmental Health and Safety Manager

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 • Slip and fall accidents cost • HSG 51 The Storage of
Slips and falls caused employers more than £512 Flammable Liquids in
by inadequate liquid million per year.2 Containers 2 – establishes
storage, transport steps to control the risks of
• Slip and fall accidents cost
and dispensing fire and explosion.
the health service £133
can damage your million per year.2 • The Environment Agency
business’ reputation, PPG 26 4 – covers the storage
Legislation you can’t and handling of drums and
and reduce your afford to fall down on Intermediate Bulk Containers
operational efficiency up to 1,000 litres in capacity
By law, you must provide a
through lost personnel and defines the specifications
safe environment for employees
and expertise and and visitors to your workplace. for secondary containment.
diminished employee General provisions are included in: • The Control of Substances
morale. • Health and Safety at Work Hazardous to Health
Act 1974.2 Regulations (COSHH)
2002 2 – specifies the need
• The Management of
Risks you Health and Safety at Work
for risk assessment and
precautions to prevent or
must stand Regulations 1999.2
• The Workplace (Health,
control exposure.

up to Safety and Welfare)

Your organisation may be one
of the thousands of workplaces
with a need to store, transport
and dispense liquids on site.
These processes produce the
obvious risk of spillages –
which in turn can lead to
people slipping and falling.
Statistics show that:
• Slip, trip and fall incidents
in the UK workplace cost 40
workers their lives in 2009.1
• Slips, trips and falls are the
single most common cause
of major injury in the UK
workplace.2
• 95% of major slips result in
broken bones.2
• Slip and fall injuries account
for 33% of all major injuries
reported.3
Regulations 1992.2
In addition, specific legislation
governs how liquids are
managed on site. These include:
• The Control of Pollution
(Oil Storage) (England)
20014 and The Water
Environment (Oil Storage)
(Scotland) Regulations
2006 5 – these apply to all
premises storing more than
200 litres of oil and state
that bunds or drip trays
are required to prevent
pollution; bunds must have
110% capacity of the largest
container, or 25% of the total
volume of liquid being stored,
whichever is greatest. ANY
BUSINESS STORING 200L
OF OIL MUST COMPLY.
• Environmental Protection
Act (1990)4 – empowered
pollution-control regulators
(e.g. EA and SEPA), and
introduced ‘Duty of Care’,
affecting the employer and
the employee responsibility.
You also have an obligation to
your organisation. Slips and
falls caused by inadequate
liquid storage, transport and
dispensing can damage your
business’ reputation. It can
also reduce your operational
efficiency through lost personnel
and expertise and diminished
employee morale. Compensation
pay-outs, increased insurance
premiums and lost business
arising from such incidents will
directly harm your profitability.

Registered office: New Pig Ltd • Hogs Hill Watt Place • Hamilton International Technology Park • Blantyre G72 0AH
Freephone: 0800 919 900 • Fax: 0800 731 5071 • pigpen@newpig.com

© 2010 New Pig Ltd. All rights reserved. • facebook.com/newpiguk • www.newpig.co.uk

Review
the risks
to YOUR
operation
Within and around your specific
workplace, liquids will be used in
countless processes – including
production, cleaning, testing,
maintenance and transport.
They are likely to be stored
in vessels of all sizes and
configurations – from laboratory
beakers, water-cooler bottles
and dedicated containers for
flammable and toxic chemicals,
to waste-oil tanks and fuel silos.
Internal areas of your plant
to review include: battery
storage areas, drum storage
areas, laboratories, office
areas, manufacturing areas,
warehouses, roofs, janitorial/
maintenance areas, canteens,
bathrooms and store rooms.
External areas of your
plant to review include:
loading docks, smoking areas,
entranceways, car parks, outdoor
storage areas, fleet-maintenance
areas, hazardous-waste storage
areas, loading areas, fuelling
areas and wastewater facilities.
In all cases, you
are advised to find
out the potentially
harmful properties
of liquids you keep
on site.
Registered office: New Pig Ltd • Hogs Hill Watt Place • Hamilton International Technology Park • Blantyre G72 0AH
Freephone: 0800 919 900 • Fax: 0800 731 5071 • pigpen@newpig.com
© 2010 New Pig Ltd. All rights reserved. • facebook.com/newpiguk • www.newpig.co.uk
Know your liquids
Damaged or blown containers
can spill or leak their contents
onto floors and walkways
to produce slip hazards. To
ensure the integrity of your
containers, it’s essential to know
which liquids you’re storing in
them and how these should be
handled. Important information
resources include the Material
Safety Data Sheet and the
manufacturer of the substance
in question.
Storing flammable, corrosive
or otherwise hazardous
liquids requires special safety
considerations and is not advised
unless essential to your business.
In all cases, you are advised to
find out the potentially harmful
properties of liquids you keep • Hydrochloric Acid
on site.
Flammable Liquids
Steel containment pallets and
safety stores should always
be used for storing flammable
or combustible liquids. Other
factors to consider include:
• Adequate ventilation to avoid
the build-up of ignitable
ambient vapours.
• The containment device’s
resistance to fire and heat.
• The control of static
accumulation/discharge
through bonding and
grounding.
• How close the containment
device is to heat or
ignition sources.
Before purchasing and using a
containment unit, best practice
is to consult the national or local
regulations relating to storing
flammable liquids in your area
and also your property’s insurer.
The Health and Safety Executive
and local fire department, or
other authority with jurisdiction
over flammable liquid storage,
are other key resources. Early
enquiries can prevent breaches
of binding regulations and could
help avoid a fire or explosion in
your facility.
Corrosive liquids
Common-place corrosives in
industrial and commercial
use include:
Common Acids
used for water treatment,
etching, metal cleaning
• Phosphoric Acid
used for rust-proofing metals,
soft drink manufacturing
• Sulphuric Acid
used for batteries, electroplating
Common Caustics
• Sodium Bicarbonate
used for fire extinguishers,
antacids, pharmaceuticals
• Sodium Hydroxide
used for water treatment,
etching and electroplating
• Sodium Hypochlorite
used for disinfecting,
water purification
Knowing the pH of these liquids
is crucial to their correct storage.
Surefooted
ways to
store liquids
Fortunately for your business,
decades of development – driven
by the dangers liquid spills
pose and by the need for legal
compliance – have created highly
effective containment products
and technologies. Foremost
among these are:
• Poly and Steel Spill
Containment Pallets – can select the proper spill-
should a leak occur whilst
these are in storage, the
effluent is captured in the
pallet’s sump. As well as
curtailing slip hazards, this
prevents materials from
entering drains (which
would incur costly fines) and
possible chemical reactions
with other materials in
the area. The best pallets
and surrounding decks
incorporate anti-slip gratings
to enhance underfoot grip
and traction.
• IBC Pallets – these units
are ideal for larger volumes.
Fully enclosed IBC Pallets
feature integral, leak-proof
bunds to save discharged
liquids from reaching the floor
and causing a slip hazard.
• Safety Stores – offer you
self-enclosed, high-capacity
and lockable storage. Many
contain shelving for efficient
use of space and easy access.
• Fuel and Waste-Oil Tanks
– these containers’ integrated
bunds combat the risk of
liquid spills during storage
and dispensing.
Registered office: New Pig Ltd • Hogs Hill Watt Place • Hamilton International Technology Park • Blantyre G72 0AH
Freephone: 0800 919 900 • Fax: 0800 731 5071 • pigpen@newpig.com
© 2010 New Pig Ltd. All rights reserved. • facebook.com/newpiguk • www.newpig.co.uk
Decades of development – driven by the
dangers liquid spills pose and by the need for
legal compliance – have created highly effective
containment products and technologies.
In managing your liquid-storage
facilities, it’s recommended
that you:
Know your numbers. Calculate
the number of containers you
need for storing liquids so you
containment solutions.
Segregate. Although most
facilities don’t have the luxury of
unlimited storage space, making
room to store incompatible
materials in discrete areas can
help avoid bigger problems later.
Ease loading. When selecting
spill containment pallets,
choose the lowest loading height
possible whilst still meeting
containment regulations. You’ll
cut the effort required to load
and unload; and with drum tops
easier to reach, the risk of an
injurious slip is reduced.
Check load capacity. Over-
loading pallets with storage
containers can cause them to
collapse, leading to major and
hazardous liquid spills.
Secure your grip. Anti-slip
grating on spill containment
pallets and decks enhances
traction underfoot. It helps
prevent workers from slipping
and falling when standing
on container units to
dispense liquids.
Develop inspection
procedures. Regularly checking
containers for leaks and
ensuring they are placed apart
from reactive chemicals is a key
safety measure.
Ensure visibility. Correctly
signpost liquid storage and you
enable employees, cleaners and
visitors to be vigilant and take
suitable precautions.
Educate. Train employees on
why it is important to correctly
store liquids in designated areas.
Moving away
from risk
Liquids aren’t just stored on site,
they are often transported for
operational and disposal reasons
and this is a frequent cause of
workplace accidents, including
slips and falls. To minimise
these risks:
• Review your workflow layout
and ensure liquids are only
moved when necessary.
• Ensure any necessary
personal protection
equipment is issued to
those transporting
hazardous liquids.
• Train employees in spill-
response procedures and in
the use of Spill Kits which
should be close at hand
during liquid movements.
• Ensure that flooring, over
which liquids are moved,
is fit for purpose. Uneven or
slippery surfaces can trigger
injurious, even deadly,
falls and environmentally
hazardous spills.
• Select dollies rather than
drum movers as a more
secure liquid-transporting
solution. Mobile dollies
with dispensers can serve
as transporters, secondary
containment and dispensers
all in one.
• Consider how Poly and Steel
Spill Containment Pallets and
Storage Units (see page 4) are
to be transported and loaded.
Selected pallets have entry
bays for easy forklift access;
Registered office: New Pig Ltd • Hogs Hill Watt Place • Hamilton International Technology Park • Blantyre G72 0AH
Freephone: 0800 919 900 • Fax: 0800 731 5071 • pigpen@newpig.com
© 2010 New Pig Ltd. All rights reserved. • facebook.com/newpiguk • www.newpig.co.uk
you may require a dedicated
drum lifter for inserting
drums into higher units.
• Choose mobile storage
cabinets for the safe
movement and storage of
flammables and acids –
their leak-proof sumps
remove the risk of slip-
inducing and otherwise
dangerous discharges.
• Use drive-in containment
under storage tanks, pallets
and tanker leaks.
Dispensing with the danger
Dispensing liquids from storage
containers is the time when the
risks of a spill are highest. To
safeguard against these and
to ensure any spillage does not
become a dangerous slip hazard,
advanced and recommended
solutions are available:
• Absorbent Mats fit on drum
tops to absorb unwanted
pump leaks – catching these
at source, rather than on the
floor where it may be too late.
• Drum Funnels with splash-
free pouring mechanisms
prevent leaks hitting the floor.
• Pop-Up Fill Gauges issue
cautionary signs that drums
are full to capacity.
• Mobile Dollies with
dispensers can serve as
transporters, secondary
containment and dispensers
all in one.
• Sumps, Decks, Pallets
and Basins store drums
and containers to prevent
leaks and drips from fouling
pedestrian walkways.
In managing liquid dispensing
and transfers, it’s recommended
that you:
Take one job at a time –
it’s best practice to finish
dispensing one liquid before
moving to another. Multi-
tasking may seem quicker but
the risks of a dangerous spill
increase exponentially.
Be mindful of the material –
as well as a slip hazard,
flammable and combustible
liquids present more explosive
dangers. Care should be
taken to ensure they are not
dispensed near ignition sources.
Containers for these materials
need to be bonded and grounded
during dispensing.
Ensure visibility –
proper signage in dispensing
areas makes everyone aware of
potential hazards.
Beware the pressure –
do not use pressurised air to
transfer liquids from their
shipping containers, as this may
cause them to fail or create a
flammable atmosphere.
Obtain closure –
ensure all containers are
correctly sealed after dispensing.
Ideally, checks to ensure transfer
pumps, drum faucets and the
like are turned off properly
should be integrated into your
employee’s standard working
practices. Failing this, hazardous
vapours could be released
and containers knocked over,
creating a slip and fall hazard.
Pooling our
findings
Nearly 11,000 major slip or fall
incidents are recorded in the
UK each year6, with liquids
spilt onto workplace floors and
walkways among the most
common causes. Such events not
only injure the victims, they have
expensive, potentially disastrous
consequences for the businesses
that employ them. Legal action
against compliance failures,
diminished employee morale,
disruptions to production, your
reputation tarnished – all these
are possible outcomes.
Even with the best liability
insurance you’re likely to incur
considerable expenses. Your
insurance premiums are likely
to rise too – for example, an
employee breaking an arm can
increase these by £6,000 or more.2
References
1
HR Review - 8/2/2010
2
Health and Safety Executive
3
Westminster City Council
Registered office: New Pig Ltd • Hogs Hill Watt Place • Hamilton International Technology Park • Blantyre G72 0AH
Freephone: 0800 919 900 • Fax: 0800 731 5071 • pigpen@newpig.com
© 2010 New Pig Ltd. All rights reserved. • facebook.com/newpiguk • www.newpig.co.uk
Observing these rules will help keep your
workers safe – and your business on its feet.
Crucial to minimising the risk 4. Streamline the movement
of slips and falls is the safe of liquids around your plant
and legally compliant storage, and if necessary invest in
moving and dispensing of liquids new equipment such as
kept on your premises. Best Mobile Dollies and Spill Kits.
practice recommends that you:
5. Ensure liquids are dispensed
1. Familiarise yourself and across your plant as safely
your employees with all as possible – Absorbent Mats
relevant legislature. around dispensing areas
safeguard your employees’
2. Review the risks to your
footing; containers with
operation, including the
splash-free pouring
exact nature of the liquids
mechanisms prevent slip
you store and especially
hazards occurring in the
of any flammable or
first place.
corrosive substances.
Observing these rules will help
3. Obtain recommended storage
keep your workers safe – and
units, such as Poly and Steel
your business on its feet.
Spill Containment Pallets
and IBC Pallets.
4
The Environment Agency
5
SEPA
6
Your Legal Rights/Barbour
Environment Health and Safety