Stock up on absorbents as an oil spill solution to minor accidents around the machine shop

Not every oil spill is a disaster, but you do need to manage every oil spill correctly and dispose of the oil properly. Garages and shops experience minor oil spills on a daily basis. Failure to follow rules and regulations on oil spills is illegal, for both businesses and residents. If you work with oil, plan to have the minimum equipment for containing oil spills.

I recommend: Mat pads like those sold by New Pig Corporation and granular oil absorbents like SpeediKleen made by Complete Environmental Products, Inc. allow you to contain oil spills.

Use solutions for oil spills like oil skimmers

Slow leaks or minor spills in calm waters can be managed by oil skimmers and a few environmental clean-up specialists. The skimmer generally works with a fine mesh that traps the oil while allowing clean water to pass through.

I recommend: Megator Corp. makes the Megator Rope mop oil skimmer that actually mops the oil off the surface of the water. Contact Separation Dynamics about Skimzoil, an oil skimmer that functions as an oil pollution solution by cleaning and recycling the water it processes.

Use oil containment booms to block large spills from spreading further across the water

Booms are the best way to contain or divert a very large spill quickly, though smaller booms do just as well on more minute spills. Advancements in environmental technology allow booms to be one of the most reliable means of preventing oil spills from doing major damage to the area.

I recommend: Giant booms like the Super Max by Elastec/American Marine contain major oil spills on large bodies of water. The Mk RB Fast Water Oil Boom by SlickBar Products Corporation works best on beaches, rivers and canals.