A spill pallet is a bunded secondary containment item that is designed to hold containers of

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

and

fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

s, typically in either a

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

or in an

intermediate bulk container Intermediate bulk containers (also known as IBC tank, IBC tote, IBC, or pallet tank) are industrial-grade containers engineered for the mass handling, transport, and storage of liquids, semi-solids, pastes, or solids. The two main categories of I ...

. It is called a 'secondary containment item' because it is designed to catch the leaks and spill of the container's contents which rest upon it. The spill pallets can come in a variety of sizes to accommodate multiple containers.

UK Legislation

In the UK, a container of oil or fuel cannot be stored outside unless it is bundled in a secondary containment item (Oil Storage Regulations 2001). This means that if the container of oil leaks, it will be contained within the bund. The secondary containment item must be able to hold 110% of the largest container above. If a person were to store 4 x 200-litre drums on the sump pallet, the sump pallet must be able to hold of oil. Although there are no laws in the UK stating that a sump pallet must hold 110% of the largest container upon it, it is still considered good practice to do so.

Materials

Sump pallets can be made in a variety of materials, but due to the nature of the oils or chemicals which will be stored upon it, they are typically made from either UV stabilised

polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bo ...

, or

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

that is

galvanised Galvanization or galvanizing ( also spelled galvanisation or galvanising) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are submerged ...

for further protection from harsher chemicals. Also available in stainless and mild steels.

References

Pollution control technologies {{environment-stub