If you are an Australian business that stores any liquid on your site, it’s safer to bund everything for pollution prevention. Collapsible bund, Australia can be the difference between a safe workplace and a hazardous one.
What is a Bund?
A bund is an outer case holding the primary container, also called secondary containment, it can fully encase the container so it’s no longer visible, or the tank could sit in or on top of the bund. Bunds can be fixed, or can be moved around.
Why Do I Need a Bund?
When it comes to managing leaks, bunds are the answer. Bunds are designed to capture liquids if the primary container fails or is damaged, and also capture drips and leaks. This means that liquids are captured and held in a container until they can be safely removed, preventing pollution and harm to workers.
Where Bunds Can Be Applied
Bunds can be found in any workplace that needs to minimise the environmental impact of hazardous liquid spills and safely store machinery and pumping equipment.
Some of the workplace bunds can be found at include: mining and exploration sites, warehouse and storage centres, remote build pages and refuelling and debunking locations as well as anywhere that temporary works are done.
Where temporary work is done, or goods are being moved around, collapsible bunds are the most likely to be used as they are more temporary of an option.
Common Applications of a Bund
When it comes to using a bund in a workplace, here are some of the commonplace applications of a bund.
– Secondary fuel containment
– Storage of hazardous and corrosive substances
– Containment drum bunds for storage bunds
– Spill control mats and chemical spill bunds for storing chemicals
– Portable wash bays for trucks and other vehicles
– Drive on, drive off fuel transfer bunds for refuelling of machinery and vehicles
– Controlling spills during repair and maintenance of oil transformers
– To contain leaks during maintenance of vehicles
– To contain spills in fuel pumps
– To contain oil and fuel leaks of compressors
– Temporary bunding solutions for containing oil and fuel leaks of emergency generators
Benefits of a Bund
Many workplaces choose bunds for the following reasons:
– They are easy and quick to deploy
– They are a one-piece construction with no need for joining
– Designed to be sturdy with reinforced walls
– They are abrasion and puncture resistant.
– They have welded seams for strength and sealing
– They can have eyelets for securing to soft ground
– They are foldable and light enough to move easily
– There is a wide selection of fabric materials to suit various fluids
– They can be collapsed so you can drive a vehicle or machine onto the bund
– They are easy to clean after use.
What Features Should a Bund Have?
A bund should be large enough to contain all liquids in the event of a full failure. It should be 110% of the primary container or, if there are multiple containers in one bund, it should be 110% of the largest container or 25% of all the containers combined, whichever is the greater amount. Additionally, the bund should be in good condition and shouldn’t have any breaks in it for valves, pipework or taps. The Bund should also be able to contain the liquid safely.
What Do I Do When I Have a Bund?
Bunds must be checked regularly to check that they are in good condition. Ideally, during these checks, you should be checking for any cracks, chips or signs of leaks or seeping from the bund and its seams. This should be done regularly and the results recorded, so deterioration can be identified and tracked. Further,the inspection may have to be done to check if there are any issues that cannot be seen visually.
There also needs to be a procedure in place to safely deal with bund water, this happens when your bund is exposed and can fill up with rainwater. Even if you cover the bund, you may still have to check for rainwater.
The Verdict
When you think about it, prevention is better than the cure, and this is why collapsible & Portable bund, that are quick to erect and easy to move is effective in containing pollutants.
Bunds are designed to be durable and portable, they effectively create a chemical-proof barrier around on-site equipment, meaning safe storage of otherwise dangerous equipment without a chance for hazardous spills. Overall, bunds mean you can meet your environmental duty of care in a cost-effective manner.
