Emergency spill clean up of food and drink

If you have had a major spill of food or drink and are in need of our emergency spill response services call us now on 01656 741 799

Benefits of our major food and drink spill response Service include:

• UK Spill Accredited
• Over 20 years’ experience
• Large range of specialist equipment
• Trained and experienced responders
• 24/7 call out
• No retainer
• Confined Space Entry & Breathing Apparatus trained responders
• Can liaise with regulators on your behalf
• Able to remove and dispose of hazardous waste

Types of food and drink cleaned include:

• Milk
• Cooking oil
• Palm oil
• Beer
• Cream
• Glucose
• Syrup
• Food additives
• Fruit juices

Although you may not instantly think of food and drink as a pollutant major spillages can cause devastation to the environment.Due to the high risks caused by foodstuffs the Environment Agency created a Pollution Prevention Guideline (now withdrawn) to cover Dairies and Other Milk Handling Operations: PPG17 which stated “[milk] can be as much as 400 times more polluting than untreated domestic sewage. Naturally occurring bacteria break down milk entering a watercourse, using up oxygen in the water more quickly than it can be replaced. As a result of falling oxygen levels, fish and other creatures can suffocate.”

We are experienced in the clean-up of large scale food and drink spills to prevent environmental pollution, harm to employees and disruption to site activities.

Health & Safety of a food or drink spill

Although it may seem strange to think of food or drink as being a health and safety risk, when spilled in large quantities the spillage may pose a threat to operatives and emergency responders. Many foodstuffs and concentrates can cause severe eye and skin irritation as a minimum. Before commencing any spill response we will ensure our responders have adequate PPE and PRE to protect themselves from the spilled material.

Environmental Concerns of a food or drink spill

If foodstuffs are allowed to enter controlled waters they can strip the watercourse of oxygen causing fish and other aquatic organisms to suffocate.Environmental damage can last for years as rivers can take a long time to regenerate the aquatic organisms which have been killed.In the event of a major oxygen crash you can oxygenate the water by adding hydrogen peroxide to the water or utilising mechanical aeration equipment.

Our spill responders will react as quickly as possible to limit the pollutants from entering the watercourse and limit the environmental damage caused.