What is spill containment?

Spill containment is the equipment that stops oil, fuel and chemical spills spreading - protecting your workforce, your site and the environment, and keeping you compliant with your IPC licence, ISO 14001 or insurer's requirements. It splits into two jobs: preventing spills from stored liquids (bunding), and responding to spills that occur (clean-up). A well-set-up site plans for both.

In Ireland, secondary containment for oils, chemicals and other hazardous liquids isn't optional - it's required under EPA IPC licences, the Water Pollution Acts and standard planning conditions for any site storing or handling these liquids. Failure to have compliant containment in place can lead to enforcement action, fines and clean-up liability, on top of the environmental damage a spill can cause.

Who needs spill containment in Ireland?

If your site stores, handles or transfers any of the following, secondary containment is not optional:

1. Petroleum products - diesel, petrol, heating oil, lubricants, hydraulic fluids
2. Agricultural chemicals - slurry, fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides
3. Industrial chemicals - acids, alkalis, solvents, cleaning agents, paint
4. Food-grade oils and fats - environmentally damaging despite being food-safe
5. Any liquid stored in 205-litre drums, IBCs or bulk tanks

The spill containment range - and when to use each

Our spill containment product range

SSI Environmental stocks one of the widest ranges of spill containment products available from an Irish supplier, manufactured from UV-stabilised high-density polyethylene for Ireland's outdoor conditions and shipped nationwide from our Dublin warehouse. A snapshot of what's available within each sub-category:

How to choose

1. What are you storing? - drums and IBCs need bunding: a spill pallet or bund sized to the number and type of containers.
2. Indoors or outdoors? - outdoor bunds should be covered or self-bailing so rainwater doesn't reduce the sump capacity.
3. What could you spill? - match the spill kit type (oil-only, chemical or universal) and the sump material to the liquids on site.
4. Near water or drains? - add drain protection and, near watercourses, booms.
5. What does compliance require? - bunds are typically sized to hold at least 110% of the volume of your largest container - for a 205-litre drum that's a minimum of 226 litres of sump capacity, and for a 1,000-litre IBC, at least 1,100 litres. If you store multiple containers, size to the single largest unless your local authority specifies otherwise. We advise on your specific duty.

Why SSI Environmental

SSI Environmental was founded in 1996 and is a forerunner in supplying spill control materials to Irish industry - trusted by IPC-licensed and ISO 14001 companies, county councils and local authorities. Beyond supply, we provide on-site risk assessment, made-to-order spill kits, spill SOP and training development, and monthly documented kit inspections.

1. Irish-based supplier - stocked and shipped from Dublin, no import delays
2. Full product range - from single-drum trays to large-scale IBC bunds
3. Outdoor-rated products - UV-stabilised polyethylene built for Irish weather
4. Forklift-compatible designs - 4-way entry options available across the range
5. Emergency response products - collapsible berms and pop-up pools for urgent site needs
6. Paired with spill kits - complete your spill response with our spill kits range

Spill containment FAQs

• What is the difference between a spill pallet and a spill kit?

  A spill pallet (or bund) is a platform that stores drums or IBCs and catches any leak beneath them - it prevents a spill spreading. A spill kit is the absorbent equipment you use to clean up a spill that has already happened. Most sites need both.
• How big should a bund be?

  As a general rule, a bund should hold at least 110% of the volume of the largest container it serves - 226 litres of sump capacity for a 205-litre drum, or 1,100 litres for a 1,000-litre IBC - though the exact figure can depend on the regulation that applies to you. We can advise on the correct capacity for your site.
• Do I need covered containment outdoors?

  Outdoors, rainwater collecting in an open bund reduces the sump capacity available for a spill. Covered pallets, or a self-bailer that drains clean rainwater and seals during a spill, keep the capacity available. All our outdoor-rated products are made from UV-stabilised polyethylene that resists cracking and fading.
• Is secondary containment a legal requirement in Ireland?

  Yes. Secondary containment is required under the Water Pollution Acts, EPA IPC licence conditions and standard planning requirements for any site storing oils, fuels or chemicals. Enforcement action, fines and clean-up liability can follow if containment isn't in place.
• What products suit construction and agricultural sites where fixed pallets aren't practical?

  Plant nappies for machinery, collapsible containment berms for temporary or mobile operations, and pop-up spill pools for emergency deployment all provide compliant secondary containment where fixed infrastructure isn't possible, and can be moved as site needs change.