What To Look For in an Emergency Spill Response Team

emergency spill response team

What To Look For in an Emergency Spill Response Team

Businesses that deal with hazardous waste should have an emergency response plan, and one of the basics of this plan is having access to an emergency response spill team. When an emergency spill happens, it’s imperative to have a team come to the site as quickly as possible. The team will evaluate the location and damage to assemble the correct containment and cleanup tools, safeguard their health with personal protective equipment (PPE), and address the spill. When searching for a professional emergency spill response company, look for the following traits and features. 

Rapid Deployment at Any Time

Time is crucial when an emergency spill occurs. Spills need containment as soon as possible to avoid further contamination. An emergency response team needs to arrive at the spill site quickly and be available 24/7, each day of the year.

Flexibility to Offer Short-term and Long-term Assistance

Not all spills are the same and may require different containment techniques and equipment to remediate the situation. When looking for an emergency response spill team, choose one that can deploy quickly for short-term assistance and provide long-term help as needed.

When members of an emergency spill response team help in the initial stages of containment and disposal, they’ll have a deeper understanding of the nature of the spill, giving them the knowledge they may need for more complex assistance if needed.

Knowledge and Understanding of Environmental Impact

Since the members of an emergency spill response team handle hazardous materials, they need to know how to properly deal with and dispose of these materials with the lowest level of impact on the environment. Before hiring an emergency spill response team, ask about the work process to determine how the individuals handle the disposal of the spill materials.

Ability to Handle Various Emergency Spills

Whether the spill is oil, chemical, or industrial waste, the team needs the knowledge and equipment to handle each type of spill. In some cases, one type of spill can have a domino effect, creating a series of cascading events that may need several types of containment. Your emergency response spill team should have the knowledge and equipment to handle various spills.

Having the Proper Equipment

For the safety of the public, environment, and the emergency response spill team, the company needs to have the correct containment, cleanup, and protective equipment. When choosing the team, you want to look for features such as having a specialized sealed truck that properly retains materials collected from the spill site. Additionally, and depending on the type of spill, team members will need various levels of PPE that may include the following:

  • Full-face air-purifying respirators with supplied air
  • A fully encapsulated chemical- and vapor-protective suit
  • Inner and outer chemical-resistant gloves
  • Disposable gloves, boots, and suits

If your business experiences a hazardous waste spill in the Roseville, Michigan, area, contact PROS Services as soon as possible to avoid contamination of land or water. We have a dedicated emergency response spill team fully equipped to handle all emergency spills, from oil and gas to chemicals and industrial waste.