Here is a resource with some commonly asked questions about Oil Locker, workplace safety, and Absorbents in general. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the material below or absorbents in general.

What are the current OSHA requirements for floor safety?

1910.22(a) Surface conditions. The employer must ensure:

1910.22(a)(1) All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces are kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition.

1910.22(a)(2) The floor of each workroom is maintained in a clean and, to the extent feasible, in a dry condition. When wet processes are used, drainage must be maintained and, to the extent feasible, dry standing places, such as false floors, platforms, and mats must be provided.

1910.22(a)(3) Walking-working surfaces are maintained free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice.

1910.22(b) Loads. The employer must ensure that each walking-working surface can support the maximum intended load for that surface.

1910.22(c) Access and egress. The employer must provide, and ensure each employee uses, a safe means of access and egress to and from walking-working surfaces.

1910.22(d) Inspection, maintenance, and repair. The employer must ensure:

1910.22(d)(1) Walking-working surfaces are inspected, regularly and as necessary, and maintained in a safe condition;

1910.22(d)(2) Hazardous conditions on walking/working surfaces are corrected or repaired before an employee uses the walking-working surface again. If the correction or repair cannot be made immediately, the hazard must be guarded to prevent employees from using the walking-working surface until the hazard is corrected or repaired; and

1910.22(d)(3) When any correction or repair involves the structural integrity of the walking-working surface, a qualified person performs or supervises the correction or repair.

Why should I not use Clay Absorbents?

⦁ Even though clay absorbents (kitty liter) are cheaper to purchase they can be very expensive to use.

⦁ Clay Absorbents are Categorized as a Carcinogen by the FDA and are capable of causing cancer in living tissue.

⦁ Clay Absorbents are very heavy and dusty.

⦁ It can take a considerable amount of time to do its job (to absorb).

⦁ It is often kicked around and scattered by employees during production schedules.

⦁ It does not pick up or remediate spills completely. Therefore, it requires additional work to make the floor completely safe.

⦁ Clay Absorbents Form slimy layers when wet with low holding capabilities, leaches. Which makes for unsafe and difficult clean up.

⦁ Oil absorption is 2 pounds of clay for 1 pound of oil.

What if I’m not sure what I need?

No Problem! Here is a Quick Guide to help you decide what type of Absorbents you may need.

Start by surveying your area, to determine what your needs might be, like:

Water Ways: If your workplace is near a body of water, you will need to take stock and imagine the worse case scenario possible and prepare for it. Have an action plan in place along with adequate material on hand. When hydrocarbon hits the water, it can spread very quickly.

Slope: Warehouse floors, parking lots, drive ways and natural terrain will show you where a spill will travel. The trick is not to chase the spill but meet the spill with the products in a strategic location. One simple method is to drop a golf ball and see where it rolls…

Response: How far and how much? How far will your response team have to travel to get to a spill, and how much and what products will they need to carry. Shortening the response time by having adequate product in strategic locations will allow your response team to adequately and effectively address a spill.

Once you’ve surveyed your area, determine which products you may need:

Loose Particulates: Used for damming the spill, and offers great coverage as the responder can broadcast the particulates into the spill.

Socks and Pillows: Socks can be used to contain spills on water or land, and absorbs as it blocks the spill. Pillows are used passively to absorb large volumes or catch drips and leaks.

Booms: Used to contain spills on water and land. Come in different diameters and configurations. The two types of booms are, standard in which the sorbent material is encased within a spun bond material surrounded by polyester netting, rope, rings and snaps. Spaghetti booms do not have the sock material but instead strips of melt blown oil only white material encased in the polyester netting, rope, rings and snaps. The purpose of the Spaghetti boom is to allow water to pass through while catching thick hydrocarbons.

Pads and Rolls: For quick coverage of a spill or to catch drips from machinery and vehicles. The ease of replacement and low cost per use makes this a very affordable solution.

Sweeps: To “polish” the water by removing the oil sheen off the water. This product can be used passively or actively. A reinforced Polypropylene webbing allows the product to be dragged across the water or anchor the sweep to allow the water to pass under it.

Snares: Used to capture very thick oil from the water making it into a Tar Ball. Can be used individually by hand or used on a 50 foot rope with 30 attached to drag through the water. Can be steam cleaned to re-use a few times.

Pom Poms: Used to pick up light oils and fuels from the water. Can be used individually to scrub rocks, trees and shore lines. You can use 30 Poms on a 50’ rope to drag through the water or simply used in place to catch oils as they pass by in the current.

Spill Kits: Spill kits contain a specific list of products that facilitates the adequate response to a spill or supports an established maintenance plan: Spill kits can be customized to meet the customers needs.

 

Sorbent configurations and uses

Melt-Blown: Melt Blown polypropylene is produced by melting resin and blowing long fibers randomly onto a collector producing a non-woven fiber. It looks similar to mashed cotton candy fibers. This product is commonly used for emergency clean up, or simply catching drips from machinery.  It is considered to be an economy option. This is a basic tool to be used for common issues where tight requirements are not required.

Sonic-Bonded: This mainstay of the sorbent industry is constructed from a single layer of high-quality, uniform polypropylene fibers “sonically” bonded together. This process creates dimples that add strength and reduce linting. Pound for pound, this product offers the greatest absorbency of the melt blown family.

Anti-Static: Anti-Static pads and rolls pass NFPA 99 standards and Meets Mil-STD-301C, Method 4046 for static decay and surface resistivity. This absorbent pad is specifically designed to selectively absorb vaporous flammable hydrocarbon based fluids, such as gasoline and Jet A fuels to name a few. The anti-static additive reduces the possibility of static charge in the presence of volatile fluids.

SMS: Spun Bond / Melt Blown / Spun Bond: This product is used in non-lint applications where tough jobs such as wiping and scrubbing is required. The spun bond outer coverings are made from polypropylene, but made by spinning the fibers into a very strong and thin material. The outer covering does not aid in the total absorption in a significant way, however it allows the user to wring out and re-use the material several times. Once saturated it will also not break apart from the weight of the material. Other uses include lining tool cribs, catching drips, wiping down sensitive equipment that require non lint or to simply wipe off hands.

Fine-Fiber: Precision-engineered and manufactured to maximize loft and absorbency, our premium-grade Fine Fiber melt blown sorbents provide high absorbency. Premium fine fiber covers provide low lint and fast wicking. They are ultrasonically bonded to a high-loft melt blown core. Pads and rolls are perforated.

Cross and Center perforations: Like the perforations in your paper towels, and toilet paper, we add this to the pads if the customer requires them. It allows the user to more effectively use what is needed and save money.

Color: Color of the sorbent is an indicator of its function and disposal coordination.

  • White and Blue are to absorb hydrocarbons only,
  • Gray is Universal and used to absorb all liquids.
  • Green is used for Environmental, Chemical or Haz-Mat, and absorbs all liquids.
  • Yellow is Haz-Mat and can be used for all liquids.

You can use these different colored products to help sort your items for disposal. For instance, the yellow pads can be used to pick up sulfuric acid and the Green pads used to pick up bleach.

 

Workplace Safety 101

Every Business should have a simple and concise Preventive Maintenance Program in place to prevent slip and fall accidents.

Employee and customer slips and falls can be very costly. The long term costs of higher insurance rates over several years far out weigh the cost of maintaining a simple Preventive Maintenance program to prevent such accidents.

You can avoid costly compliance penalties and improve the bottom line Profit of your Company by simply including spill cleanup products in your preventative maintenance program.

By using the proper tools and disciplines, you will cut down on the cost of labor, improve productivity and give a sense of pride in your business. It makes a very strong statement to the employees and all who come by for a visit.

You can purchase inexpensive products that would normally be used to address spills related to incidents or accidents, and use them to help keep your work area clean and safe. Some people read the CFR regulations as something a business has to buy and store and hope to never use.

Many business owners and managers overlook the potential expensive hidden costs that can hurt a companies profit margins. There are many businesses that unfortunately make the statement “ Well we have never had an incident”, and all the years of not buying spill products, one incident wipes out everything they believe they saved, and maybe the entire business.

Below are some of the costs of which you should be aware, but keep in mind that “Indirect Costs” are normally many times more expensive than that of direct costs.

Incidents and accidents always come at the worst time, be it bad economies, low sales or tight profit margins. But these are the times where you should protect your self the most, this is when you can not afford a fine or an accident.
The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that slips and falls are the most common cause of emergency room visits. The most fre-quent complaints related to slips and falls are shoulder, back, elbow, wrist and knee injuries. According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), an average slip/fall injury costs roughly $28,000.

This puts a financial strain on individuals and companies alike, since slips and falls are the third largest cause of workplace injuries. Within North America, these injuries lead to approximately 104 million lost workdays each year which translates into approximately $36 billion dollars annually.

The profits you are trying to build now could be gone in a instant if you are not prepared for an accident or incident.

 

Indirect costs such as:

  • Lost or decreased productivity
  • Administrative costs
  • Overtime pay
  • Replacement hiring
  • Employee morale
  • Slowed work pace due to fear of injury
 

Direct costs such as:

  • Workers’ compensation
  • Medical costs,
  • Higher Premiums
  • Possible Law Suits and Legal Fees