What a Spill Is and Why It Matters

More than a mess

A spill is any liquid or loose material that escapes from where it should be: a tank, a drum, a pipe, a machine or a vehicle. It can be a few drops of oil from a leaking pump or thousands of litres of fuel from a damaged tank. Many people think of a spill as a mess to clean up. In fact, a spill can harm people, damage the site, and pollute land and water for many years.

Example 1: the leaking generator

A generator at a building site leaked a little diesel every day onto bare ground. Nobody noticed because the patch was under the machine. When the generator was moved months later, the ground below was soaked. The soil had to be dug out and removed as hazardous waste. The cost was far higher than a drip tray would have been.

Example 2: the bucket in the drain

A worker emptied a bucket of dirty oil and water into an outside drain, thinking it went to a treatment works. In fact, the drain led straight to a stream. Local people reported an oily film on the water, and the authorities traced it to the site.