Polypropylene is the most widely used sorbent by industry today due to its lightweight to high absorbency ratio. Polypropylene sorbents are configured into a variety of sizes, shapes, and colours, and are deployed strategically to contain and adsorb accidental spills. We can help you choose the right sorbent for your specific situation.

Rocky Mountain Environmental distributes various grades of polypropylene sorbents including meltblown, sonic bonded, fine fibre, and laminated.

Meltblown: Main type used. Excellent sorbency and lowest cost for general use.	Sonic Bonded: Use where more strength is required in a pad. Low-linting.	Laminated: Superior strength and no-lint, these pads are ideal as wipes for machinery and parts.

Other types of material used when responding to spills are granular, polymers, bioremediation encapsulates and chemical neutralizers. One or all may be part of your spill response.

Socks: 3" diameter x 4’ or 10’ lengths. Used to redirect or contain a land-based spill from spreading. Standard items in all spill kits.

Pads: approx. 17" x 19", available in different weights or thickness.
(12 oz. - 3/8"), (9 oz. - _"), (6 oz. - 3/16"). Can be used on water or land and will adsorb anywhere from 15 to 25 times their weight depending on variables such as temperature, viscosity and type of product spilled.

Booms: Available in 5" and 8" diameter x 10’ lengths. Each boom has a "quick connect" on each end to attach booms together to form any length required. Used to contain water borne spills. Available in non-shedding or contractor style (spaghetti).

Pillows: Thicker than a pad with ground polypropylene encased in poly liner. Used in place of pads when you have a large pool of spilled product to absorb.

Rolls: Available in the same weights as pads and are 38" or 19" wide x 144’ long. Used on bench tops, under leaking machinery or vehicles, on shorelines when spills reach land or as a general maintenance product that you can cut to any length you require.

Sweeps: These 19" wide x 100’ long sorbents have a nylon webbing running the entire length at the top for additional strength and to allow responders to "polish" the water in the final steps of cleanup, removing the oil sheen from the surface.

Bilge Bugs: Used in oil water separators, sumps and bilges to absorb collected oil. 5" diameter x 12" with loop on one end for tie-down and retrieval.

The charts below will assist you with some basic information to help you determine what your spill response needs are and will enable you to take the first step in ensuring a safe working environment and environmental compliance.

Granular absorbents

Multizorb is a non-carcinogenic universal granular “absorbent” used in the clean-up of chemical spills. It is an environmentally safe, non WHMIS controlled product. Multizorb absorbs instantly, encapsulating volatile liquids and does not support combustion.

Available in 1.5 cu.ft., 20 lb. bags. One bag will absorb approximately 10 US Gallons of liquid.
 

Plug N’ Dike Premix and Granular

Plug N’ Dike is a non-toxic material, which forms an immediate seal to control flammable and/or hazardous leaks and spills. No surface preparation is necessary. Sticks to dirty, rusty, greasy surfaces. It is a combination of high water absorption polymer in a bentonite base. The polymer absorbs over 300 times its own weight in water into a microstructure producing a seal against penetration of fuels and chemicals. Plugs up to 5’ of head. Take a handful of premix, or add water to the granular and mix to form a sticky paste, and apply directly over the leak.

Premix available in: Plug Pattie, 1 lb., 4 lb. and 8 lb. containers. Plug Pattie has glycol added to prevent from freezing. Granular available in: 10-lb./1-gal container and 48-lb./5-gal pail.

Neutralizers 

"ENHANCE SAFETY"

INCLUDING VYTAC™ NEUTRALIZERS INTO YOUR CONTINGENCY PLANNING IS YOUR BEST INSURANCE POLICY

For Acids, Alkalis, Formaldehyde, Mercury, Sodium Hypochlorate Solutions, Hydrogen Peroxide Solutions, Radioactive liquid, Glutaraldehyde and vapour suppressant for highly flammable liquids.

Hazardous material spills are a daily industrial reality. Accidental spills are a definite concern, causing immediate risk to employees, production downtime, economic losses and regulatory headaches. Even small spills can be an expensive nuisance. Immediate neutralization at the spill site is an option that has been generally overlooked by practitioners in the field. While the use of neutralizers is increasing, their use is still considered by many a black art. With the products now readily available in the market, this option is safe and practical to implement.

The most common spills in the industry involve acids, alkalis and solvents. The former two materials are easily dealt with with neutralizers. Typically though, a small chemical spill is dealt with by adsorption with pads and "socks". The use of absorbents allows for the removal of the hazmat from the spill site, but that’s only the beginning of the cleanup task. The site must still be decontaminated to remove unabsorbed residues. The absorbent and the absorbed hazmat must be handled, stored and ultimately disposed of as a hazardous waste. In a full compliance environment, disposal can involve considerable paper work and cost. In addition, handling and transferring has inherent risks of secondary accidents, possibly resulting in injury to employees and more spills.

Integrating VYTAC Neutralizers into your response program can minimize the cost of dealing with HazMat spills by:

• Reducing the risks in dealing with a spill
• Reducing the amount of hazardous waste created
• Returning the spill site to usable condition quickly

VYTAC in Hospitals

Hospitals use a wide range of chemicals that include acid, alkali reagents, tissue preservation chemicals, and sterilants. When there are accidental spills of those products, the implications can go beyond simply "cleaning up the mess". Inadequate spill response can lead to unnecessary injury of personnel, extended downtime for essential laboratories, excessive hazardous waste disposal cost and loss of productivity. The use of VYTAC products can help in dealing with spills in an effective manner. Hospitals are coming under pressure to minimize their generation of hazardous wastes. Using outside contractors to treat wastes can be an expensive and sometimes inconvenient procedure. Liquid wastes must be handled and stored, further increasing the risks of accidents. VYTAC products can be used to treat a variety of hazardous wastes

If VYTAC products are used at the spill site, the following benefits are derived:

• The clean-up task is simplified, downtime is reduced and use of absorbents can be minimized
• Spill site safety is enhanced
• Worker exposure is reduced
• Handling is safer

Oil Gator

A patented product. Uses a 100% natural renewable resource as the base for the product. Oil Gator is 100% biodegradable, has excellent encapsulation properties, and provides rapid degradation of hydrocarbons in liquid form or in soils.

Oil Gator absorbs and encapsulates hydrocarbons from the surface of land and water, trapping the molecules inside its fibers. When applied correctly, it will completely absorb toxins preventing them from leaching into the soils or into underground aquifers.

Oil Gator contains all the necessary ingredients to enhance bio-degradation of hydrocarbons by indigenous bacteria. When activated by the addition of moisture, the indigenous bacteria are furnished with ideal growth conditions, within which they proliferate and rapidly utilize the available hydrocarbons as a food source.

Available in:

• 1.5 cu.ft. /30 lbs. Bags
• Gator Shaker Jug - 3 lb.
• Gator Pail - 8 Litre
• Gator Pail - 15 lb./20 litre pail

BioSolve is a unique non-toxic biodegradable emulsifier that was specifically engineered as a clean-up and mitigation agent for use on a wide range of hydrocarbon products.

Biosolve in and of itself does not cause or catalyze specific chemical reactions, nor does it contain any bacteria cultures or enzymes. The basic function of BioSolve is to create micro-emulsions of hydrocarbon and water. The encapsulation of the hydrocarbon molecules in a water/oxygen bearing solution effectively speeds up biodegradation.

The BioSolve micro water encapsulated micro-emulsions have another unique feature of causing long term vapour suppression.          

Applications include:

• Spill cleanup               
• Vapour suppression          
• Eliminates Sheens            
• Sludge solubilization
• Paraffin treatment/Production enhancement
• UST/AST cleaning and degassing
• Soil Remediation/in-situ/ex-situ

When encountering a spill you must first determine:

• What is the contaminant?
• Can I enter the area?
• Can I safely accomplish a useful purpose?
• Do I have the necessary product information (i.e. MSDS)?
• Do I have the required safety equipment and knowledge of appropriate procedures?

The following steps outline an appropriate and efficient approach to a hazardous spill.

Step 1 - Get Away
If a hazardous spill is discovered employees should move a safe distance away. Turn off ignition sources and equipment if possible.

Step 2 - Identify what you saw
Accurately describe what you have just seen. What was it? Was it a solid, liquid or gas? Where was it? Was it raining? Did it have a familiar odour?

Step 3 - Get Help
Follow company procedures. Notify the key contact immediately and report the details of the spill.

Step 4 - Hazard assessment
Determine the hazards by obtaining the Material Safety Data Sheets, read labels, identifying signs or Transportation of Dangerous Goods placards. If this becomes necessary responders should assume the worst and use the highest level of personal protection equipment.

Step 5 - Alert others and evacuate unnecessary personnel

Step 6 - Secure the area and establish spill boundary

Step 7 - Prepare a plan of action
After the hazard has been identified, the team should prepare an action plan. They should consider environmental conditions such as wind direction, potential for rain, what might happen on site. Prepare for emergency vehicle access.

Step 8 - Secure proper equipment and materials
Establish levels of personal protection equipment required by determining potential hazards. Choose equipment such as spark proof tools if flammable liquids are involved.

Step 9 - Establish decontamination and first aid stations
Establish decontamination procedures in the event that someone is injured. Arrange for medical assistance and support if necessary. Material Safety Data sheets will provide health and medical data for the hazardous material.

Step 10 - Contain the spill
The goal is to limit the spread of contaminant and thus maximize safety and minimize liability costs.

Step 11 - Clean up the spill
The goal here is to limit the spread of contamination, remove contaminant from protective clothing before removal, and clean equipment. Sorbents used to clean up the spill are often classified as hazardous waste. Absorbed materials have the same properties as the spill material. Sorbents must be properly packaged for disposal according to municipal, provincial and federal regulations.

Step 12 - Investigate and evaluate
The cause of the accident needs to be investigated and evaluated to prevent further occurrences. Evaluate your plan to determine if improvements are necessary. Build these improvements into the quarterly spill accident exercises. Replenish all supplies immediately.