How To Clean Gasoline Spill

• What are the effects of a gasoline spill?
• Why you should not clean up gasoline spills yourself
• What to do when a spill happens
• How do professionals clean up a gasoline spill?
• Contact us today

With over 18 million cars in the UK fuelled by gasoline, spills are a very common occurrence. Whether they take place at a petrol station, in the garage, on the driveway, or in the workplace, you must bring in professionals to take care of it.

At ICE Cleaning, our technicians can provide quick and effective gasoline oil spill cleaning. They are fully permitted to handle and discard of any oil, and are available 24/7, 365 days a year. In an emergency, they can be on site in a matter of hours.

Read on to find out what to do when it spills.

What are the effects of a gasoline spill?

Firstly, gasoline is highly flammable and a fire could break out if there is a flame, hot surface, spark, or static electricity present. Even someone starting their car could cause a fire.

The toxic vapours it produces could put your health at risk, too. When you inhale them, the chemicals can enter your bloodstream which makes it hard for the body to move oxygen to healthy tissues. You may experience symptoms like dizziness, headaches, and convulsions.

If you touch or ingest gasoline, you will also experience serious health issues including inflammation, vomiting, and heartburn. Chronic gasoline exposure can lead to long-term health problems such as seizures, vision problems, and insomnia.

Spilled gasoline might also contaminate groundwater, surface water, soil, and air, and could damage the environment. You can find out more about the impact of oil on wildlife in this blog.

Why you should not clean up gasoline spills yourself

Without the proper training and personal protective equipment, you will be putting yourself at greater risk of exposure to the vapours.  

You also might make the spill worse. Should you use cleaning chemicals, for example, you could make toxic by-products and the situation could get more dangerous. You probably will not have the equipment required to soak it up properly, either, and might not remove all the gasoline.

When try to wash it away with water, you could make it a larger slick so it is harder to clean, or help it spread into the environment.

Only cleaners from an oil spillage cleaning company should remediate gasoline as they have the specialist products and equipment to remove all traces of it. They will also know how to stay safe while tackling the spill, and be able to properly dispose of any contaminated materials.

What to do when a spill happens

If you are at a petrol station, tell the staff that fuel has been spilt. They will have the training and tools to clear it up, and will advise on what to do next. If there are no employees in attendance, call the police. Should gasoline spill in your driveway or garage, call professional cleaners immediately.

Spills in the workplace tend to be the most dangerous as there will probably be a large volume of gasoline and more people in the surrounding area.

When you notice some has been spilled, you must notify anyone that could be affected and follow your emergency spill response. You can find helpful advice on what to include in your plan here.

If there are employees trained in cleaning up gasoline and oil and there is a spill kit on site, they will clean it up. Otherwise, bring in cleaners to quickly remove the oil, so you can get your business back up and running as soon as possible.

How do professionals clean up a gasoline spill?

Professional cleaners will have the training, PPE, and specialist products and equipment to clean up the gasoline safely and effectively. You can find out more about how professionals deal with oil spills in this blog.

• They stop the oil at source, whether that is shutting valves or putting a tipped container upright.
• They use spill control equipment so it can’t spread any further, and ensure it does not damage the workplace.
• Professionals plug drains and sewers so the fuel won’t contaminate the environment.
• They remove all traces of the gasoline oil, ensuring there is no staining left behind, and sanitise all affected surfaces.
• The cleaners dispose of the contaminated oil and waste, making your workplace clean and safe, again.

Contact us today

Our technicians can take care of any gasoline spill, no matter its size, how far it has spread, or where it has happened in the UK. They can also help clean up other types of oil, including diesel and hydraulic oil.

Reach out to our friendly customer service team on 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk for a free survey and no-obligation quote for our gasoline spill cleaning services.