Generators and fuel tanks are commonly used on construction sites and can pose risks of contamination to grounds. BCI generator containment berms provide work sites with spill control and environmental safety to avoid costly fines that could be incurred without any protection.
Construction equipment, during a site visit, can spill or leak hydraulic fluids or oil due to heavy use. Containment wash down berms can provide safe equipment wash down practices, helping companies avoid costly fines. Wash down berms offer users with a flexible containment solution for drive-through capabilities, to wash down equipment before or after onsite work is facilitated.
Fortunately, spill containment solutions from Basic Concepts make it easier than ever to reduce safety hazards and comply with regulations. Whether you’re looking for a portable and easy to assemble spill containment solution or a heavy-duty containment berm with customizable options, our team has you covered.
Here are a few of our best-selling spill containment solutions for construction sites.
Angle Bracket QuickBerm®
It’s not uncommon for generators or fuel tanks to leak on construction sites, though the scenario is less than ideal. While proper maintenance and other preventative measures should be taken, investing in a quality containment berm will enable your company to avoid costly fines.
This berm is resistant to fuels and chemicals and is also easy to fold for storage.
Wash Down Berm
However, generators aren’t the only hazards in the workplace. Any construction equipment that contacts a hazardous chemical must be washed appropriately as residual water will carry chemicals to storm drains, which could ultimately violate EPA and OSHA regulations.
Our lightweight and easily portable wash down berm is the perfect solution. It is easy to assemble and enables vehicles to drive through it without releasing washdown runoff.
Why Construction Containment is Essential
Proper construction containment is essential not only for a variety of environmental and public health hazards but also because negligence can lead to a construction company’s financial ruin.
Spillage on your worksite can damage expensive equipment and may cost thousands of dollars to repair. In addition, your organization can also be held responsible for all cleanup costs. This includes products and services used during the process and damages to public property and the environment.
Depending on the size of the spill, it also poses a threat to your brand’s image. In fact, in a survey of North American consumers, 70 percent of respondents said they would pay about 35 percent more for eco-friendly brands. If you’ve recently caused damage to the local environment, the press likely won’t do your brand any favors.
Your organization can also be held liable for several fines and legal fees, which can range from several thousand to several million dollars. Therefore, construction spill containment is essential not just for the environment but also for the business’s best interests.
Hazards Caused by Construction Spillage
In addition to the immediate financial liabilities caused by construction spillage accidents, you will also have several other issues to address.
Employees
Your employees are the heart and soul of your business, so their wellbeing should be your top priority. Unfortunately, they are often in the greatest danger when a spill occurs. Slip and fall accidents are one danger construction spills pose, and surrounded by heavy and dangerous machinery, these seemingly mindless blunders can be deadly.
In addition, many of the chemicals and oils that employees encounter during a construction site cleanup are health hazards and may result in various cancers.
Public Health
Public health is also a major concern for government organizations like the EPA and OSHA and must be considered. While a small leak in your generator may not have a resounding impact, larger spills can impact surrounding villages. For example, if you have a substantial oil spill, much of the substance will evaporate and release toxins into the air. This can cause cancers and other health problems, even if air samplings show no detectable levels of volatile organic compounds.
In addition, if children come into contact with objects that have been contaminated with oil, they will also be at risk of health hazards.
Environmental
Finally, the environmental impact of construction site spills is devastating. If any of the chemicals or oil runs down a storm drain, you’re not only polluting the environment but also endangering local wildlife. For example, oil that leaks into a lake could kill off the fish, which would negatively impact the rest of the food chain.
Therefore, the EPA and its organizations created a number of environmental spill control regulations to protect wildlife and reduce the impact of worksite construction pollution.
Safety Regulations and Fines
To ensure that regulations are obeyed, the EPA and OSHA have hefty fines to prevent future disasters.
Your company must abide by EPA laws if it meets one of the following criteria:
- Your project stores, uses, transfers, or otherwise handles oil
- Your project has a maximum aboveground storage capacity of more than 1,320 gallons of oil or an underground storage capacity exceeding 42,000 gallons
- Your site is geographically positioned in a way that makes it possible for oil or other chemicals to contaminate nearby water sources
If your facility meets these requirements, you must develop an SPCC plan. This plan must also be updated every three years and any time that modifications are made to the project.
Failing to report an oil spill to the EPA, can land an individual a fine of up to $250,000 or 15 years of jail time. Similarly, if an organization fails to report an oil spill, it can be subject to a fine of up to $500,000. If an oil spill occurs, your organization may be subject to administrative penalties of up to nearly $160,000, and civil penalties imposed in a judicial proceeding can reach $32,500 per violation per day or $1,100 per barrel of oil spilled.
Given the steep consequences of oil spills, worksites must be fully equipped to handle any disaster.
Construction Safety Solutions
Fortunately, avoiding these costly penalties is relatively easy.
First, be sure to create a compliant SPCC plan and be sure to include emergency solutions. Review this plan every three years and make any necessary adjustments. Once you’ve created the plan, purchase the appropriate equipment to reduce unnecessary spillage, and improve your construction containment plan.
If you need any guidance with construction containment, our veteran experts are happy to assist you in purchasing the right containment plan for your situation. To order a compliant spill berm from Basic Concepts Inc. fill out our quick order form and one of our professional sales associates will contact you to make your request.