Bunding is a back up container that catches leaks from the main liquid container. Bunding is like an insurance policy for the main container – it’s there to catch a spill and make sure that damage, injury and environmental issues are avoided.
If the main container leaks, it’s much easier and safer to clean up a spill that has leaked into a secondary container – or bunding – rather than an unenclosed space.
What kinds of bunding are there?
Different workplaces require different types of bunding. The main considerations for the type of bunding you need are:
- the type of liquids you use at your workplace
- how much liquid is on-site
- if the bunding needs to be portable
- how long the liquids will be in storage.
Does my workplace need bunding?
So many industries use bunding – any factory, warehouse, laboratory or workshop where there’s any chance of a spill should use bunding. This also applies to service stations and wash bays and other areas in which a material is transferred from one container to another.
Bunding will depend on the kind of site you have and no two sites will require the same bunding size or shape, and bunding can be made from a variety of different materials, depending on the liquids your site is dealing with and whether or not the bunding needs to be portable or permanent.
Permanent bunding might be made from concrete and masonry as they are designed to last for a log time. Portable bunding, by nature, is designed to be easily moved so are usually made from lightweight, flexible materials like polyethylene.
How do I know what size bunding I need?
As bunding is a safety requirement for your worksite, business or factory, the Australian laws dictate the size your bunding must be in order to be compliant. This requirement is based on the size of your main storage containers and how much liquid you have in them.
Your bunding must be either at least ten per cent larger than the largest container or twenty five per cent of the total liquid stored. Whichever number is greater is the size requirement for your bunding.
Spill Station, Australia have been providing safety equipment and advice to Australian workplaces for almost 40 years. They’re able to help your work place with all of their bunding requirements and you can see what options they have available on their website:
