Drum/Barrel Equipment and Oil Spill Management
Supply, installation and compliance advice for drum equipment and oil spill management systems across the UK.
Speak to our liquid engineering team about drum equipment or spill management
Is your oil storage system built around drums or barrels?
Barrel systems are increasingly less popular for several reasons. They have low volume capacity, are time-consuming to oversee, and managing oil usage by technicians is prone to error and inevitably, inaccuracy. There is also an environmental impact of a continuous cycle of scrapping old barrels.
The majority of our customers adopt a bulk storage tank system with a supplementary barrel system for oil grades that lend themselves to smaller volumes (such as gear box, transmission and ATF oils).
So, if you do require barrel (or drum) equipment in your workshop, what factors are important to consider?
Drum equipment
At PGE, we sell two main types of drum equipment based on volumes - a 60 litre drum and a 208 litre drum. These drums are designed to make oil dispensing directly into engines quick and hassle-free.
The meters accurately display oil consumption volumes which the technician can record on a job card. All our drum equipment is carefully sourced from leading manufacturers in the UK and across Europe.
We have been using the same drum designs for many years, affording them a proven track record for reliability and longevity.
Caring for your equipment
Drum storage and handling is an additional service we can provide. For many customers, this is the most unwelcome aspect of implementing a drum system.
- Where do you store your drums?
- How do you safely handle the drum in transit to and from storage?
- How do you manage environmental concerns?
- Where and how do you dispense of the drums?
Drums should be stored safely and to guarantee regulatory compliance - elevated above the ground on pallets, protecting the earth and water courses should a spill occur. The pallets are bunded to ensure that any oil leaks are immediately captured and contained within the tray.
Ancillary equipment for drum systems
In addition to the drum itself, there are a range of products that can be used in conjunction with the drum which you might want to consider.
- Hand pumps: either manual or air-operated
- Oil metering: a digital meter connected to one of the above pumps
- Drum dipsticks: for use in barrels to measure fluid volumes
- Drum handling equipment and industrial trolleys
- Drum toppers and spill control products
- Dispensing systems
Legal compliance
Drum equipment is covered by the same legislation as tanks. Worryingly, we find that some customers are unaware of this and do not realise that they are non-compliant in the way they are managing their drum system. Like tanks, drums must have secondary containment measures.
Oil Spill Management
No workplace wants spills or leaks to occur. They are time-consuming, waste valuable product and are damaging to the environment - not to mention potentially hazardous for anyone on site.
Installing and maintaining the right leak management equipment and adopting the right processes is essential. At PGE, we have helped hundreds, if not thousands, of customers to create an oil spill management system which protects them during accidents or emergencies.
Good housekeeping and compliance goes a long way to limiting your risk and exposure by minimising the chance of spills. However, in the event of a spill, you must be able and prepared to act immediately.
Spill Management Equipment
A spill or leak can originate from a multitude of places:
- A meter in the workshop
- A wall bar
- A tank outside
- Anywhere in the building where oil is present
Spill management kits contain a range of equipment to help you deal with spills as quickly as possible such as drain covers, wheelie bins, absorbent booms, drain kits and alarms.
All leakages are contained within the spill kit which means that after use, spill kits are contaminated and must be disposed of in line with regulations, for example in a designated wheelie bin.
Waste specialists collect the waste, supplying you with a transfer waste document which acts as an audit trail and proof, should you be inspected, that you have safely disposed of waste.
Is your drum equipment up to current standards?
Oil spills are a headache which no business wants to deal with, not to mention time consuming and potentially expensive to clean up. And if a serious oil spill happens on your watch, you could face financial penalties for environmental damage. At PGE, we have all the experience you need to help bring your systems up to scratch.