Expert Oil Spill Cleaning Services

Physical injuries

A slip-and-fall incident is probable if oil spills onto a surface that employees may touch or walk on. If the oil is heated, it may cause burns and scald the skin. You should have absorbent mats or pads around oil tanks and barrels to absorb extra oil or contain a leak.

Health and welfare

Depending on the severity of the spill and the individual, exposure to oil may differ. Oil can have harmful health consequences when inhaled, consumed, or touched, including an increased risk of cancer and dermatitis. You can read more about the health risks of oil spillage here.

Fire risk

Oil is flammable and easily ignites when an open flame or other intense heat sources comes close. Staff members face a serious risk of suffering major burn injuries if they decide to smoke after encountering oil. Oil barrels must be kept away from any open fires or heat sources, and utilising industrial-grade containers might reduce the chance of a fire. Before consuming food, drinks, or smoking, workers should wash their hands thoroughly and discard any contaminated clothes.

Environmental impact

Oil tanks in homes and factories have the possibility of polluting the environment. Any drains in the building potentially connect to nearby water supplies, and in the event of a workplace incident, the water could become contaminated during a leak. The flow should be stopped, and any surrounding drains must be covered, to avoid harming the environment.

What should you do when oil spills?

You must put yourself first if an oil spill happens at work or if your household heating oil tank starts to leak. Preferably, you should try to contain the spill using absorbents like sand or cat litter if you are certified and it is safe. Otherwise, you must maintain your distance and take the following actions:

• Stop the flow of oil if it is safe and you are qualified
• Put a bucket under the leak and close valves or taps
• Use a spill kit, sandbags, or earth to soak up the oil if it is safe to do so
• Stop oil from entering a river, stream, watercourse, and drains or soaking into the ground
• Never wash any spilt oil away into drains or into the ground to prevent polluting local water supplies
• Never use chemicals or water to clean up spilt oil
• Avoid touching the oil
• Use warm, soapy water on your skin to remove any oil
• Take off any contaminated clothing right away
• If there is a spill, notify your local authorities and any close residents 
• Call 111 if you experience any immediate symptoms
• If you experience severe symptoms, dial 999 or visit A&E

We cover all areas in the Sevenoaks District in Kent, including:

• Ash
• Brasted
• Chipstead
• Crockenhill
• Edenbridge
• Fawkham
• Four Elms
• Hever
• Horton Kirby
• New Ash Green
• Otford
• Penhurst
• Sevenoaks
• Underriver
• Westerham

What are the health risks of an oil spill?

Acute symptoms

• Eye irritation
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Euphoria
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Loss of coordination
• Disorientation

Chronic symptoms

• Irregular heartbeats
• Convulsions
• Coma
• Breathing issues
• Organ complications
• Increased cancer risk
• Decreased immunity

Get in touch with a member of our friendly support team today

To discover our full range of cleaning solutions, give our friendly support team a call at 0208 066 0360 or email us at enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk.