Indoor Secondary Containment

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What is secondary containment?

A primary container is the vessel that holds the hazardous substance, for example a bottle, 20L container, 200L drum or 1,000L IBC (intermediate bulk container). Secondary containment could be best described as the system in place to contain spills, leaks or the failure of the primary container stored on it.

Why is it required?

In the many workplaces storing or using hazardous substances, the primary containers that hold such liquids are vulnerable to damage. This vulnerability can come from poor storage practices, mismanaged decanting or transfer procedures, or damage from vehicles such as forklifts.

Once over a certain threshold, a secondary containment system is often required by legislation to contain these hazardous liquids if they escape from the primary container, and to prevent them from escaping into the wider environment. To learn more about when secondary containment is required, click here.

That environment might be the immediate workplace and therefore may put employees and other personnel at risk. Or it might be a nearby waterway which will quickly pollute and impact marine and bird life, as well as their ability to be used for domestic, commercial, or recreational purposes.

How is it achieved?

Secondary containment has been historically achieved by building ‘berms’ from concrete or block walls, earth mounds or large tubs.  In recent years however, it has been made much less complex with low profile work floors, spill containment pallets and flexible bunding options. These are designed to be quickly repositioned as your site and operational requirements change over time.

Hazero's range of indoor secondary containment products

The comprehensive Controlco range covers every eventuality and everything you need. Designed and manufactured for fitness for purpose and made from sturdy polyethylene it gives the peace-of-mind of knowing it won’t rust or corrode. And it’s easily cleaned with Controlco Sorbent Pads. (Which, handily, we also stock!)

• Spill Trays
• Low Profile Work Floors
• Spill Pallets – Drum/IBC
• Flexible Containment
• Mobile Containment
• Outdoor Containment
• Overpack Drums

Incompatible substances

Some hazardous substances may not be suitable for storing in products made from polyethylene. Our Polyethylene Compatibility Guide provides an overview of which hazardous substances you can store in products made from polyethylene. Click here to download the resource.

Controlco 5-Year Warranty

Storing hazardous liquids is a demanding task but the strength and reliability of the Controlco products, mean they are right up to it. To prove our confidence in them, they are backed up with an industry-leading 5-year Warranty, which will give you the peace of mind that you are purchasing a solution that rises to the storage challenge, like none other. Find out more here.  

Creating safer working environments

At Hazero our mission is zero hazards. Our extensive range of quality products will help you store, contain and control and clean-up dangerous goods and hazardous substances.

View our full range of Indoor Secondary Containment products here.

Need help creating a safer working environment? Contact our team today on 0800 688 844 or email us at info@hazero.co.nz. Our team are also available for on-site assessments across New Zealand, click here to request a site visit.

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