Often, buildings (or rooms in buildings) or sites need a liquid-tight bund to contain any spills or firewater in the event of a spillage or a fire. But how do you select the right option for spill containment and/or sprinkler water containment barriers for openings in walls?
1 – Identify the volume of liquid to be contained. This may be the volume of the largest single vessel within the protected perimeter, or for sprinkler water containment it may be that volume plus the volume of sprinkler water discharged over a set period (often 20 minutes).
2 – Calculate the height of spill protection you need by dividing the volume by the floor area of your storage room.
Pivot type barriers are typically specified up to 2ft height. When they store vertically next to the opening their height is the barrier length + 2 x the protection height. This needs to be checked against any overhead structures and wind loads should be calculated if barriers are externally mounted.
3 – Confirm the chemicals being stored, as this may determine the material of the gaskets and / or the barrier panels.
4 – Confirm if the protected area is explosion rated. If it is, the costs for spill control barriers can increase greatly. It is worth considering if it is better to place any barriers outside of the explosion rated room or space.
Different gaskets or metals can be specified to prevent any chemicals affecting their performance. These drop-down barriers use EPDM rubber for containing water and acids.
5 – Decide if the spill barriers can be normally left in place and only moved for access, or if they need to be stored but then deployed in the event of a spill.
6 – Some spill control solutions can be fully automated so that they operate immediately when the fire alarm / sprinkler system starts, or they can be linked to a flood sensor that will trigger the barriers when the sensor gets wet.
A manual drop-in chemical containment barrier which is almost permanently installed. As they are often low height a raised bar can be used to warn personnel as well as aiding installation and removal.
7 – If containment barriers are located in a frequently accessed area, then push button operation can be useful, especially for larger spill barriers that are normally left in place and moved for access.
8 – If infrequently used, then some manual spill control gates are a good solution.
These pivot spill barriers are opened by push button or key fob when vehicles enter and exit the fuel storage bunded area. Both barriers close before any fuel pumping operations can begin.
9 – For most areas it is best to leave the existing concrete floor finish as it is. Spill barriers that work on a level sill are most common as they do not affect forklift or material handling operations.
10 – Below-ground barriers are not ideal, as the pit where they normally store is the first place to fill, and the last place to empty in the event of a spill.
’Drop Down’ spill gates are electrically operated and are ideal for wider openings or high liquid depths. The existing sill is not affected by these barriers.
11 – Very large openings can be protected with automatic sliding/ rolling gates if the heights and geometry of the building make this possible.
An automatic sliding spill control gate is linked to the sprinkler system at a waste recycling centre in London.
