So the hunters out there know that when you go out, getting ready for the big kill, its a no brainer that you suit up head-to-toe in your camo outfit. Why? So you blend in of course. The sneak attack you need to achieve when hunting,  is  easier  when you blend in with the surrounding environment, most likely the woods. Also, if you move around a lot, the camo-scheme helps minimize your movements, making them less noticeable to your prey.

Did you know, that the camouflage color scheme has also transcended into spill operations?  Spill sorbents, like pads and rolls, offer a camouflage-style covering so that the top layer of the sorbent hides absorbed leaks and drips so it always looks clean.  Camo in this case , helps minimize the effects of leaks, drips, spills and footprints that are tracked by them.

Just think, the next time you have an OSHA inspection, or a union visit, switch your sorbents from regular pads and rolls to camouflage style pads and rolls. They’re  still just as effective in keeping your warehouse, manufacturing plant, or loading dock s safe, but they look a lot cleaner  to the eye too.

Keep your area safe while also looking clean.

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So when you think of milk you tend to think of a delicious satisfying cool-down drink that nicely compliments a very rich piece of cake or a handful of cookies right? Yeah me too. But not the EPA. Yes, I said the EPA. I know your wondering how do milk and EPA fall into the same sentence? I’ll tell you how.

While this oil spill in the gulf is not horrific enough, it appears that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) under the Clean Water Act, apparently intends to classify milk as a hazard to the waters of the United States and add tremendous compliance costs and regulatory burdens. To some, okay many, especially farmers, this goes way beyond the focus of the Clean Water Act. Since when did the spillage of milk cause thousands of fish to die, much like the oil in the gulf is right now?

In addition to the Clean Water Act is a separate program called the Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Program. According to the EPA, “The goal of the SPCC program is to prevent oil spills into waters of the United States and adjoining shorelines.” According to this program, a farm would be covered by the SPCC if the farm:

Stores, transfers, uses, or consumes oil or oil products, such as diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, adjuvant oil, crop oil, vegetable oil, or animal fat

Could reasonably be expected to discharge oil into waters of the US or adjoining shorelines, such as interstate waters, intrastate lakes, rivers, and streams

Stores more than 1,320 US gallons in above ground containers or more than 42,000 US gallons in completely buried containers

So what exactly has farmers crying over spilled milk? The EPA is loosely defining now, milk as an oil. How you ask? Because if you look at the first criteria of this SPCC coverage, it included the storage of animal fat, and what is in all milk? You got it.  “Milk typically contains a percentage of animal fat, which is a non-petroleum oil,” the EPA rule says. “Thus, containers storing milk are subject to the SPCC rule when they meet the applicability criteria…”  So without a doubt, any substantial sized farmer would definitely store more than 1,320 gallons of milk on their property making them subject to the laws & regulations of the SPCC rule.

But have faith, the farmers are not taking this sitting down. They are currently preparing their own 20-page appeal in regards to milk being classified as an oil.  As the oil from the BP spill continues to pollute and kill thousands of wildlife and ruin thousands of miles of beaches in the South, so to does the farmers war against the EPA in this ruling.

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Think you misread, no you didn’t.

A hair salon in New Jersey is stepping up and helping out anyway they can by collecting and recycling hair clippings from their customers. Don’t think its true? It is, read more here.

The website that this salon owner found online, Matter of Trust, is an ecological organization that collects shampooed hair and nylons for oil absorption. All hair is able to be donated, including human, pet and even alpaca and llama fleece furs. Plus, you don’t have to be a business owner or farmer to support the cause.  Individuals and pet owners can send in their donations (hair or monetary) and know that it is making a difference. All donations are going towards the creation of booms that are being used all along the Gulf Coast.

Courtesy of Alabama Press Register

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Spill kits can be costly, but are very important. Not only do many facilities require them to be accessible by law, but they can prove to be very handy.

Ever wonder why a kit is so expensive? Its because you are  buying the container and the spill sorbents.  Containers for spill kits can range from the inexpensive such as a nylon bag or a plastic bucket, to the more expensive containers such as overpacks or salvage drums. One way to reduce your costs is to make a one-time purchase of the kit and then, going forward just simply buy the sorbent refills. If you have a spill that requires the use of 5 pads and a couple socks, buy pads and socks to simply refill the kit. You do not have to keep re-buying the entire kit and its container.

Or perhaps you already have an unused container on hand that would be perfect for housing sorbents.  Maybe you have an unused wall cabinet or an empty drum that could hold your spill pads, sorbent socks and booms, or waste disposal bags. If that is the case, just buy the sorbents and make your own spill kit.

In terms of choosing the right sorbents to purchase, there are typically 3 types to choose from: oil only, universal and hazmat.

• Oil Only is designed to absorb petroleum, hydrocarbons and other oil-base liquids

• Universal is designed to absorb all non-aggressive liquids such as oil, coolants, solvents, antifreeze and water

• HazMat is designed to absorb aggressive caustic chemical and acid spills

No matter what spill kit, spill sorbents or spill containment you need, Seton has your solutions.

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When cleaning up a spill, many are concerned with the potential hazards they are preventing to the environment, but what about the hazards to personnel?

Keeping yourself safe when responding to a spill is crucial to the spill clean up process and employee health and safety. Of course the hazards that one might face during the spill cleanup process, vary greatly depending on what job is being performed. Slips, trips and falls are possible due to slick conditions, heat related injuries can occur depending on the environment and even drowning based on location, as those currently cleaning up in the Gulf may be likely to face.  Workers involved in spill clean up operations are covered by OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response standard (1910.120 and 1926.65).

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels was in Louisiana Monday and met with a group of experienced hazardous materials professionals to help lead an effort to ensure that oil spill cleanup workers receive necessary protections from the hazards of this work.  OSHA has published a press release from this meeting, to read more please click here.

“Oil spill cleanup workers are on the front lines attacking this disaster,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “It is our top priority to ensure that this is done as effectively, efficiently and safely as possible.”

Workers load a boat with oil booms in Bay St. Louis, Miss., as they continue preparations to head off damage from the oil spill in the Gulf Friday, April 30, 2010. Source: www.cbsnews.com (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

OSHA is distributing guides for cleanup workers and developing those guides in Vietnamese and Spanish. OSHA also has established a website to provide hazard awareness material for all involved in the cleanup activities. The website will be updated with new information as the situation warrants.

OSHA has provided information on worker safety guidelines during the oil spill cleanup, please visit http://www.osha.gov/oilspills/index.html.

OSHA’s role is to ensure that employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees, America’s working men and women, by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education and assistance.

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Wondering how? Are you thinking this can’t be true? We’ll it is.

I know, I know -  the time cleaning up, the cost of the sorbents, the disposal fees, its all so expensive, but it really is the little things that add up and can save you money in the long run.

Lets take sorbents. Did you know that there are perforated sorbents? Yes! Much like the new Bounty® paper towels you might use at home. The new Select-A-Size towels are perforated, allowing you to use only the size towel you need depending on the size of your spill. The same thing is available for industrial sorbents! Big spill or small, the perforated sorbents do the same.

Get more out of your spill sorbent purchase. Sorbent Rolls and Pads are available in perforated styles. Perforated means you save time and money. Why use an entire 15″ x 19″ pad when you only need  a 5″ x 18″ size? Save your sorbents and save yourself some money. Using the smaller size spill sorbents means that you can use it as a wipe, a sock, a full size pad, or even make it longer and use it as a roll. You’re in control of how much you use and how much you waste.

If you’re looking to save money on spill cleanup, look no further. Seton has all the sorbents you need, even the money-saving perforated kind. Available in oil only, universal and hazmat options, you can get it all, here.

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So it seems the latest craze these days is how everyone can help protect our natural resources. From recycling certain waste, to buying earth-friendly cleaning chemicals and even hybrid cars, learning how we can protect our earth is becoming more and more important.

But while we have the ability to control how we ourselves treat the environment, did you know that there is a government agency that polices how we treat our greatest resource, our water? The EPA or Environmental Protection Agency, in 1990 created the Oil Pollution Act. Coming up on celebrating its 20th year in existence, the OPA has been monumental in the nation’s ability to prevent and respond to oil spills. The OPA was developed in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, when the tanker struck a reef in Alaska, spilling more than 11 million gallons of crude oil. This spill was the largest in U.S. history.

Now, one of Australia’s most scenic sites is in great danger due to the same circumstances. A coal-carrying ship that strayed outside a shipping lane and ran aground in protected waters is leaking oil onto the Great Barrier Reef. To read more about the endangerment of the Great Barrier Reef, go here. Authorities fear an oil spill will damage the world’s largest coral reef, which is off northeast Australia and listed as a World Heritage site.

While this is a long clean up process, one that the Reef may have to endure for years to come, the first line of spill response would be to use containment booms.

We can do our part as consumers to protect the life of our resources, but it is just as important that we have government agencies policing our resources as well.

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Ever hear the expression “April showers bring May flowers”? That expression indicates a light at the end of a dreary wet April. But what about the “not so sunny” side affect of showers?

What about leaks? Have you inspected your roof lately? If not, you could be in danger of a roof leak. What if a roof leak is already present?  Are you going to just let it keep leaking on your expensive machinery and your employees below? What if the leak is not contained and a puddle below causes an employee to slip? That’s a liability waiting to happen. While doing spill cleanup, a simple solution would be to put up a safety sign, informing workers of the potentially dangerous spill ahead. But that doesn’t solve the bigger issue. How are you going to eliminate this spill from happening again?

If replacing the roof, or fixing the leaky area is out of the question, one simple, temporary solution is to invest in a Roof Leak Diverter. Installation of this easy, lightweight, leak catcher takes no time at all and can potentially save you from workplace accidents and fines.

Prevent workplace accidents and avoid a loss in profit by machine downtime, by preparing for the wet weather now.

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When the S.S. Jacob Luckenbach sank in 1953 near the Golden Gate Bridge, no one really thought much of it, until 2002, when California’s seabird population started to decrease. It was then determined that the ship that sank almost 50 years prior, was the source of a devastating oil leak, endangering the seabird population.  In light of this revelation, California and federal trustees have been awarded $16.9 million to help restore California’s seabird populations.

To read more on the story regarding the S.S. Jacob Luckenbach click here.

Back in 1953 the proper tools to attend to a spill of this magnitude didn’t exist. Fast forward 47 years later and the spill response resources are available.

This begs the question, “How would you handle an oil spill in your own facility?”

Seton has thousands of spill response & control products that can help keep spills at bay.

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A Texas-based pipeline company has agreed to pay a $450,000 civil penalty to the United States to settle allegations that it failed to prepare and maintain proper facility response plans to deal with spills and environmental accidents at eight of its oil storage terminal facilities in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.

To read more about the fines and penalties, see the full article here.

To avoid fines like these within your own company, make sure you have a spill prevention and control plan of your own. Get the items you need now at Seton!

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