Many people underestimate the true danger of water-based spills in the workplace. Just because the spill involves a non-aggressive liquid doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe. According to a 2007 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, slip-and-fall accidents cost U.S. businesses nearly $6.6 billion annually.
If a worker walks onto an area where water-based liquid has spilled, he or she could suffer from a slip-and-fall accidents. This is why it’s important for business owners to take a proactive approach towards cleaning up spills — whether they are water-based, flammable, acidic, etc. — in a timely manner. This week, we’re going to reveal some tips on how to clean up a water-based spill in the workplace.
Containment
The first step in cleaning up a water-based spill is to contain it. Depending on the severity of the spill, you may want to spread out a containment berm to keep the liquid confined to a particular area. If an above-ground tank is leaking a water-based chemical, for instance, you could lay out a berm underneath the source of the leak. Assuming the berm is large enough, it should catch the water-based liquid so it doesn’t spread on the floor.
Note: we talk about the differences between containment booms and berms in one of our previous blog posts. It’s not uncommon for people to confuse these two spill cleanup tools with one another. While booms and berms share some similarities, there are notable differences between the two that shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Clean Up
Once the spill has been properly contained, you should then work on cleaning it up. The good news is that water-based spills are typically easier to clean, but the bad news is that you’ll still have to put some elbow grease into it.
There are several different products designed for spill cleanups, so use them to your advantage. You can use absorbent socks, pillows, pads, mats and rolls to help soak up the water-based liquid. Place these absorbent items into the heart of the spill so they will soak up the water-based liquid. When they are full, carefully remove them from the spill area and dispose of them in a plastic garbage bag. Continue soaking up the spill until there’s no remaining liquid left behind.
When choosing products to clean up a water-based spill, it’s best to stick with ones labeled “universal.” Universal spill cleanup products are all-purpose and can be used for a wide variety of instances, including both aggressive and non-aggressive spills.
