Flexible Spill Containment Berms

  • Rigid-Lock QuickBerm®

    The Rigid-Lock QuickBerm® is the best-selling spill berm on the market, setting the bar for ease of use, durability and time to deploy/stow.

    View Products
  • Outside Support QuickBerm®

    The Outside Support QuickBerm® is designed for a variety of indoor applications involving pallets and fork trucks.

    View Products
  • Inside-Support QuickBerm®

    The Inside Support QuickBerm® meets the most stringent spill control regulations. No exterior obstructions make walking the perimeter safe.

    View Products
  • Angle Bracket QuickBerm®

    The Angle Bracket QuickBerm® is an economical option as a secondary spill containment berm.

    View Products
  • High-Wall Berm

    The High-Wall Berm is ideal for uneven terrain and stationary containment needs.

    View Products
  • Custom Berms

    Sometimes shape, configuration, wall height and material compatibility are factors that require a more custom approach.

    View Products

Featured Products

Loading...

Flexible spill containment berms are designed for a variety of applications, including heavy-duty vehicles, pallets loaded with drums, chemical totes, and more. Safely contain spills or leaks with Basic Concepts user-friendly spill containment berms. With the simple pull of the berms’ side walls, Basic Concepts flexible spill berms are fully engaged to contain oil, fuel, and other hazardous materials on-site in minutes.

Facilities that use or store oil or oil-related products may be subject to secondary containment requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has outlined guidelines for determining which facilities are responsible for developing spill prevention control and countermeasures—or SPCC plans—in order to prevent spills from having a deleterious impact on the environment.

One countermeasure that the EPA regulations require is the use of secondary spill containment units that prevent contamination in the event of a spill or leak. Flexible spill containment berms are mobile spill containment units that can be rapidly deployed with little to no assembly. They are designed to enable facilities to comply with EPA regulations pertaining to the storage of oil or oil-related substances.

To help you find the containment unit that is best suited to your needs, here is an outline of what the EPA requirements are, which facilities are responsible for developing an SPCC plan, how to calculate spill containment volume, and a general description of various flexible containment units and their applications.  

Who is Required to Have a Secondary Containment System?

Secondary containment systems are used to contain oils or other substances in the event of an accidental spill. Secondary containment is regulated by the spill prevention control and countermeasures rules. According to the EPA, the SPCC regulations apply to facilities that:

Store transfer or use oil. Facilities that store, transfer or use oil or oil-related products, such as diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, adjuvant oil, crop oil, vegetable oil, or animal fat.

Store above a certain amount. Facilities that store more than 1,320 gallons in above-ground containers—counting only containers that store 55 gallons or more—or 42,000 gallons in completely buried containers.  

Could contaminate waterways. If a facility stores oil or oil-related products that could reasonably be expected to discharge into navigable waters of the U.S. or adjoining shorelines, such as lakes, rivers, and streams, then they are subject to the SPCC rules.

Developing an SPCC Plan

Facilities that meet all criteria according to the SPCC rules for secondary containment are responsible for developing an SPCC plan designed to mitigate the impact of an accidental spill. Part of developing an SPCC plan involves using either https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_Report.cfm?Lab=NRMRL&dirEntryID=60232 containment measures to prevent an oil spill from entering a waterway.

An active containment measure requires human intervention or action in response to a leak or spill. An example of an active containment measure would be a storm drain cover or a spill kit

The drawback of an active containment unit is that not all facilities have the staff or personnel available to immediately and effectively respond to a spill in time to prevent contamination. Passive containment measures require no human action. An example of a passive containment unit is a flexible spill berm.

Calculating Spill Containment Capacity

If your facility is subject to the SPCC rules for secondary containment, the next step in achieving compliance is to find a secondary spill container with the appropriate spill capacity. According to CFR 40 122.7 from the EPA:

The entire containment system, including walls and floor, must be capable of containing oil and must be constructed so that any discharge from a primary containment system, such as a tank, will not escape the containment system before cleanup occurs. 

To calculate spill volume, follow these simple steps:

List the containers. List the containers that will be in the secondary containment area.

Identify the largest. Determine the volume of the largest single container in the list – then add 10 percent freeboard volume.

Convert gallons to cubic feet. Convert the gallon volume into cubic feet units using this formula: cubic feet = gallons / 7.48.

Calculate the area. Use the berm wall height to convert your volume measurement into an area required using this formula: area = volume/height.

Determine the size. Calculate a length and breadth that fits into the available workspace.

Find the right-sized container. Select a standard berm that meets your calculated needs.

Custom constructions available — call for more information.