Oils and lubricating fluids are crucial in industrial machines. They lower friction, helping moving parts slide smoothly past each other for lessened wear and equipment damage. Unfortunately, when oils or other harmful fluids within equipment leak or spill, they can be a hazard for your workers or the environment, posing a major challenge in industrial production.

Depending on the severity, a worker slipping in an on-the-job falling accident can cost your business, on average, anywhere from $5,000 to $40,000. Another potential area for revenue loss would involve any damage to your inventory or your equipment. Then there’s the environmental factor, for which a company could be liable for any hazardous leakage and associated costs per safety regulations.

Fortunately, spill- and leakage-control products are available not just to help keep escaped fluids contained, but also to facilitate cleanup. At Carolina CoverTech, we have the specialized capability as a contract manufacturer to produce industrial and environmental containment products. Learn more about the types of containment solutions we can manufacture for enhanced safety in an operation.

Primary vs. Secondary Containment

Implementing environmental containment when working with hazardous materials is important to prevent pollution that accidental leakage or spillage causes. As different companies work with varied types of fluids and oils, there are different levels of containment protection. A few factors to consider when choosing the appropriate level for an operation include:

  • Type of industry
  • Facility/equipment location
  • How hazardous your materials are

Primary containment is just what it sounds like: the main method of spillage or drainage protection ideally meant to fulfill your full containment needs. One example would be an environmental lining base layer of geotextiles and polyethylene. Industry type and location should be your deciding factors when choosing a primary containment solution since some sectors and states have more complex or stringent regulations regarding primary spill containment than others. There are many suppliers of primary containment products.

Secondary containment, a Carolina Covertech specialty, refers to any backup solutions you have in place in the event that the primary containment method fails. This level of containment includes products like spill trays and spill containment berms. They catch any excess materials, keeping them contained to avoid environmental pollution. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have regulations governing secondary containment use, and implementing products for this containment level help prevent not only spillage but legal fees.

Primary Containment Solutions

Within both the primary and secondary levels of industrial spill containment, there are numerous product solutions depending on the needs of your application. For primary containment, some examples include drums, tanks, and totes.

Drums

Drums are effective for containing many types of liquids, and they are available in various sizes based on volume capacity, such as the 55-gallon drum. The polyethylene or steel materials that often make up a drum’s body resist both acids and bases.

Tanks

Oil tanks are a versatile containment option, with vents and drainage ports to facilitate cleaning. Their volume capacities range from light commercial uses to rugged, heavy industry, and they function equally well as storage.

Totes

The storage volume of a reusable tote is far larger than that of a drum. These safe, industrial containers utilize discharge valves and thus don’t require pumps or related accessories.

Secondary Containment Solutions

Secondary containment products for environmental and industrial spills are also available in a variety of options. They are regularly used to provide back-up containment for drums, tanks and totes.

Platforms & Pallets

These spill containment accessories for drums, totes, and tanks are made to fit or hold specific equipment to better manage spillage and leakage. Platforms and spill pallets have containment sumps, allowing them to catch any liquid seeping from the primary containment method. When stored outdoors, secondary containment platforms and pallets often require a weatherproof cover to prevent rainwater from displacing their storage capacity. Carolina CoverTech is a trusted supplier of these covers.

Berms, Pools, & Booms

Spill containment berms, pools, and booms are secondary containment products that create a barrier around a machine to prevent spills from spreading.

Drip Pans

These spill trays collect spills and leaks from drums and other containers. Plastic spill containment trays and other such products go underneath equipment to capture leaking material.

Contact Us for Industrial & Environmental Container Solutions

When leaks or accidental spills occur, industrial and environmental containers effectively keep harmful substances from negatively impacting the environment or your workspace. Carolina CoverTech has been in business since 1858, and we’ve built up the necessary expertise to develop and manufacture an extensive array of products to meet your unique needs and critical applications. We specialize in innovative products that can protect, cover, contain, and enclose, with our industrial and environmental high-performance container solutions providing peace of mind to diverse businesses.

For more information on our containment manufacturing solutions, contact us today.