Serpro spill management guidance and emergency response

Serpro provides UK spill management and spill control products, guidance and practical support to help sites prevent pollution, protect drains and stay compliant. This page answers common questions about spill prevention and emergency response, with a focus on real operational risks such as airport de-icing runoff, fuel handling, chemical storage, loading bays and maintenance areas.

Question: What is Serpro and how can it help my site?

Solution: Serpro helps you select and implement the right spill management approach for your risks, including spill kits, drain protection, bunding, drip trays, absorbents and emergency response products. The aim is to reduce the chance of a spill entering surface water drains or foul drains, minimise downtime, and provide a clear, repeatable spill response procedure for staff.

If you need to buy products immediately, start with the main Serpro homepage and navigate to the most relevant category for your site activities.

Question: Why is spill management different in high-risk locations like airports?

Solution: Some locations create higher consequences and higher likelihood of releases. Airports are a common example because de-icing operations can generate significant volumes of fluid, in challenging weather, across large paved areas with extensive drainage. Without effective containment and drain protection, contaminated runoff can rapidly migrate to interceptors, surface water systems or nearby watercourses.

For background on the operational risk and the need for planned containment and recovery, see: Airport de-icing spill management (Serpro Blog).

Question: What are the main spill risks Serpro customers are trying to control?

Solution: Most sites need a joined-up plan that covers both prevention and response. Common spill scenarios include:

• Fuel and oils: refuelling points, plant maintenance, generators, bowser filling, forklift charging and storage areas.
• Chemicals: cleaning chemicals, solvents, acids/alkalis, coolants, process liquids and laboratory stores.
• De-icing and winter operations: aircraft or vehicle de-icing fluids, washdown and runoff management (high volume, fast spread).
• Loading/unloading: IBC and drum transfers, pallet damage, hose failures, overfills, tanker connections.
• Waste handling: oily rags, contaminated absorbents, leaks from waste containers and skips.

Question: What should a practical spill response plan include?

Solution: A workable spill response plan is built around speed, clarity and availability. Typical essentials include:

1. Identify drains and flow routes: map surface water drains, foul drains, outfalls and any high-risk low points.
2. Stage the right equipment: locate spill kits and drain protection where incidents actually occur, not in a distant store.
3. Contain first, then clean: use absorbent socks/booms to stop spread, then pads and granules to recover residues.
4. Protect drains early: deploy drain covers, drain blockers or sealing solutions before product reaches the gully.
5. Escalation: define when to call a supervisor, contractor or emergency response support.
6. Waste handling: segregate contaminated absorbents, label waste and store safely for disposal.
7. Review and drill: refresh training, replace used items and verify stock levels and expiry dates.

Question: Which spill kits do I need for oil, chemical and universal spills?

Solution: Selecting a spill kit is easier when you match it to both the liquid type and the likely spill volume:

• Oil spill kits: designed for hydrocarbons and oil-based liquids, often water-repellent for outdoor use where rain is present.
• Chemical spill kits: intended for aggressive liquids and general chemical handling where compatibility matters.
• Maintenance or universal spill kits: for mixed, everyday leaks such as coolants, water-based fluids and light oils in workshops.

On larger sites, it is common to use a combination: an oil-focused kit near fuel and plant, a chemical kit near stores and dosing, and smaller point-of-use kits at loading bays.

Question: How do I stop spills entering drains?

Solution: Drain protection is often the difference between a manageable incident and a reportable pollution event. Practical options include:

• Drain covers and drain mats: rapid deployment to seal a gully during an incident.
• Drain blockers and sealing solutions: for temporary isolation of drainage points.
• Absorbent socks/booms: placed around gullies, across doorways or along kerb lines to redirect flow.
• Preventive controls: bunded storage, drip trays and good housekeeping to reduce the chance of a spill reaching the drain in the first place.

Drain protection is especially important in high flow conditions such as heavy rain or de-icing runoff, where liquid can travel quickly across hardstanding.

Question: What is bunding and when is it the right solution?

Solution: Bunding is secondary containment that holds leaks and spills from stored liquids, typically around drums, IBCs and tanks. Bunding is used to:

• reduce the likelihood of environmental releases from storage areas
• support safer chemical management and housekeeping
• help demonstrate environmental due diligence and site controls

Common bunding options include bunded pallets for drums and IBCs, bunded flooring and purpose-built bunded areas. Pair bunding with drip trays at transfer points to catch small leaks before they become larger incidents.

Question: What does compliance have to do with spill control?

Solution: Spill control is a key part of environmental compliance because uncontrolled releases can pollute land and water and trigger clean-up requirements, enforcement action and reputational damage. Good spill management helps you:

• reduce the risk of pollution incidents and reportable events
• show that you have proportionate controls for the materials you store and use
• support ISO 14001 style environmental management goals and audit readiness
• improve operational resilience by reducing downtime and disruption

If you operate on complex infrastructure such as airports or large distribution sites, a documented spill response plan with staged equipment is often expected as part of environmental risk control.

Question: How should I set up spill control on a real site?

Solution: Use a simple site-by-site layout approach:

• Fuel area: oil spill kit, absorbent booms, drain cover, drip trays for coupling points.
• Chemical store: chemical spill kit, bunded storage, compatible PPE and labelled waste bags.
• Loading bay: fast-access spill kit, absorbent socks for door thresholds, drain protection close to gullies.
• Workshops: maintenance spill kit, bench drips, floor absorbents, clear clean-up procedure.
• Outdoor hardstanding: weatherproof spill kits, drain mats, booms for kerb control, plans for rainwater interaction.

Where winter operations apply, ensure the plan covers high-volume runoff conditions. Airports and fleet sites may need additional containment and recovery planning due to scale and speed of spread. Source: https://www.serpro.co.uk/blog/airport-de-icing-spill-management.

Question: What should I do immediately when a spill happens?

Solution: A simple, repeatable sequence helps staff act quickly:

1. Make safe: stop the source if it is safe to do so and isolate ignition sources if fuels are involved.
2. Protect drains: deploy a drain cover or blocker, then use socks/booms to prevent migration.
3. Contain: ring the spill with absorbent booms to stop spread.
4. Recover: use pads/granules to pick up residues and prevent slip hazards.
5. Dispose: bag and label contaminated absorbents and arrange compliant disposal.
6. Report and restock: record the incident, identify root cause and replenish spill kit contents.

Need help choosing spill kits, bunding or drain protection?

Serpro supports spill kit selection, spill containment planning and drain protection set-up for industrial and commercial sites. Use the Serpro website to find suitable spill control products and guidance: https://www.serpro.co.uk/.

Citations: Serpro Blog - Airport de-icing spill management.