When and Where to Use Spill Containment on Land
This guide is written for resellers who sell spill control and safety products into construction, mining, marine, transport, local government, agricultural and utility sectors.
As a B2B supplier of spill containment on land, our role is to support you with the technical depth and practical tools so you can have confident conversations with your customers and offer more than just catalogues and unit prices.
This guide is informed by the key principles in AS 1940 (storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids), AS 3780 (storage and handling of corrosive substances) and NSW EPA guidance on liquid chemical storage, handling and spill management. Always check the specific Australian Standards and your local EPA/licence conditions for detailed compliance requirements for your site.
1. When should you involve your B2B spill containment supplier?
As a reseller, you do not have to wait for a major incident before you bring in a specialist. It makes sense to involve your B2B supplier when your customer is:
- Preparing for environmental or WHS audits or certifications
- Completing or updating a risk assessment and identifying uncontrolled spill pathways to soil or drains
- Adding new liquids such as fuels, chemicals or process liquids, or increasing storage and transfer volumes
- Using bunds, pallets or berms that are visibly damaged, clearly undersized or of unknown capacity
These are key trigger points where we can help you benchmark the site against similar operations and recommend solutions that fit both the risk profile and the regulatory expectations.
You keep the customer relationship. We help shape the technical solution behind it.
2. When do berms, bunds and pallets need inspection or replacement?
This is a strong opportunity for resellers to add value and create ongoing revenue, not just one off product sales. You can encourage your customers to adopt a simple framework.
- Routine inspections
- Align spill containment checks with their existing safety or maintenance inspection routines.
- Monthly inspections are a common starting point, but they should follow their own risk assessment, licences and conditions.
- Event-based inspections
Ask them to inspect berms, bunds and pallets after:
- Any spill, overfill or leak in the area
- Vehicle or equipment impact
- Major weather events where products are outdoors
- Major weather events where products are outdoors
- Repair or replacement triggers
Recommend that they repair or replace when they see:
- Cracks, tears, UV damage, warping or deformation
- Signs of chemical attack such as softening, swelling, brittleness or discolouration
- Sump damage, blocked drains, loss of capacity or missing grates and components
As a B2B supplier, we can provide inspection checklists and simple forms that you can co brand or include in your offer. This helps your customers document condition and show due diligence in audits.
3. When is temporary containment better than permanent bunding?
Your customers will not always need permanent civil works to manage spill risks. Portable containment is often the smarter choice in situations like:
- Short term or project-based activities
Shutdowns, maintenance campaigns, temporary storage for special runs, construction phases and hire fleets.
- Mobile fueling and service units
Service trucks, mobile generators and plant that move across sites or between projects.
- Seasonal or remote operations
Harvest or seasonal works in agriculture, temporary compound areas in construction, remote mining or utility works.
- Sites where permanent bunds are not feasible yet
Leased yards, constrained depots, or operations where capital works are not yet approved.
Portable bunds and berms give your customers compliant temporary containment without pouring concrete. We can help you select and size portable options that are suited to vehicle loads, chemicals in use and typical spill sizes on each job.
4. Where should your customers place on land spill containment products?
When you are advising customers, it helps to discuss spill behaviour in terms of source, pathway and destination.
- Under containers and equipment
The source:
Encourage customers to use containment directly under:
- Drums and IBCs storing fuels, oils and chemicals using spill pallets and low-profile bunds
- Tanks, generators, compressors and refueling points using bunded pads or modular bunding
- Tanks, generators, compressors and refueling points using bunded pads or modular bunding
This controls slow leaks, hose failures and overfills at the point they occur.
- At transfer and handling points
The high-risk tasks
Spills are much more likely during transfer than static storage. Highlight containment needs at:
- Decanting stations and mixing areas
- Filling and emptying of drums and IBCs
- Loading bays, tanker loading and unloading, and rail or bulk transfer points
Here you can combine bunded areas, trays, portable berms and spill kits to contain and absorb any loss of control during handling.
- Along likely migration pathways
Where spills will run
Ask your customers to walk the site and look for:
- Ramps, gradients and sloped hardstands where liquids would naturally flow
- Areas where concrete or sealed surfaces drain towards grates, culverts or open channels
- Areas where concrete or sealed surfaces drain towards grates, culverts or open channels
Containment along these pathways, including berms, booms and drain guards, helps show auditors that the site has considered where spills will travel, not just where containers sit.
Supporting you and your customers
Understanding when and where to use spill containment helps resellers offer more than just products. It allows you to guide customers towards practical solutions that reduce environmental risk and support WHS and EPA compliance.
As your B2B spill containment supplier, we are here to support you with technical guidance, product selection and tools that help you recommend the right solutions with confidence.
Need help with a project or site assessment?
Contact our team for support with containment sizing, product selection and reseller resources.
