Short answer: In a warehouse or fleet yard, most spills are fuel, hydraulic oil and motor oil from forklifts and trucks. At the dock doors and out in the yard, oil-only absorbents are the usual pick. They take oil and repel water, so a wet slab or a rain shower doesn't use them up (SpillTech). Keep an oil-only drum kit at each dock or fuel point, and socks plus a drain cover near any storm drain. Stored drums go on containment. Battery charging needs hazmat absorbents and a way to neutralize spilled electrolyte. Absorbents alone don't neutralize.
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Ships to US addresses only. Shipping is calculated at checkout, and freight items are quoted in writing.
What spills happen most in warehouses and fleet yards?
A forklift with a weeping hydraulic fitting leaves drops from the charging area to the dock door, and a dark spot wherever it parks. A yard tractor drips in the same place every night. At the fuel island, a fill runs over when the nozzle doesn't click off. When it rains, whatever is on the lot heads for the nearest storm drain.
EPA lists spills and leaks during fuel delivery, and spills from "topping off" tanks, among the fueling pollutant sources at land transportation and warehousing facilities (EPA Sector P fact sheet, Feb 2021). Battery charging is its own case. Check your battery's SDS for the electrolyte, and see the OSHA rules below.
What do OSHA and EPA rules say?
Rules vary by location, so always check your federal, state and local regulations.
- Battery charging. OSHA requires battery charging installations to be in designated areas, with facilities for flushing and neutralizing spilled electrolyte, fire protection, protection of charging equipment from trucks, and ventilation (29 CFR 1910.178(g)(1)-(2)).
- Aisles and floors. Where mechanical handling equipment is used, aisles must be kept clear and permanent aisles and passageways appropriately marked (29 CFR 1910.176(a)). Walking-working surfaces must be kept free of hazards such as leaks and spills (29 CFR 1910.22(a)(3)).
- Stormwater. EPA's industrial stormwater fact sheet for land transportation and warehousing (Sector P) recommends drip pans where fuel leaks or spills can occur, spill cleanup materials kept readily available, and immediate cleanup of spills and leaks. It also says to use dry cleanup instead of hosing down fueling areas, to use absorbents for dry cleanup in maintenance areas, and not to pour liquid waste into storm drains (EPA Sector P fact sheet). Permit coverage depends on what the site does; check with your permitting authority (same source).
- SPCC (fuel and oil storage). EPA's SPCC rule generally doesn't apply if aggregate aboveground oil storage capacity is 1,320 gallons or less, counting only containers of 55 gallons or more, and other conditions are met. Onboard vehicle fuel tanks ("motive power containers") are excluded from that count (40 CFR 112.1(d)(2)(ii)). For facilities that are covered, sorbent materials and booms are among the listed secondary-containment methods for onshore facilities (40 CFR 112.7(c)).
Kits, absorbents and containment are part of a spill plan. Buying them doesn't meet any rule for you.
Which kits and absorbents fit a warehouse or fleet?
Spill kits
Socks, booms and rolls
Drain protection and drum containment
What goes where?
Suggestions only. Adjust to your SDSs, spill plan and stormwater plan.
- Each dock door or fuel point: an oil-only drum kit, a pack of oil-only socks, and a drain cover for the nearest storm drain.
- Battery charging: a hazmat kit and hazmat socks. OSHA also requires facilities for neutralizing spilled electrolyte (1910.178(g)(2)), and absorbents alone don't do that.
- Drum storage: drums on a spill platform.
- Yard and outfalls: oil-only booms where runoff leaves the site.
- Aisles and staging lanes: marked with floor tape.
Shop spill kits by type
- Universal spill kits (gray)
- Oil-only spill kits (white)
- HazMat and chemical spill kits (yellow)
- OverPack salvage drum spill kits
- Trucker, fleet bag and 5-gallon pail kits
Buyer guides
- Universal vs. oil-only vs. hazmat spill kits
- How to size a spill kit
- Trucker and fleet spill kit guide
- OverPack drum vs. wheeled vs. bag spill kits
- SpillTech refill cross-reference
How does ordering and shipping work?
We ship everything. There's no pickup or will-call, and the Florence address is a mailing address only. Shipping is calculated at checkout, and freight is quoted.
WellKept Supply is a distributor. Some items ship directly from the manufacturer, and lead times vary by product. We confirm the lead time on the product page or in your quote. We ship to US addresses only. For several sites, list each ship-to address and say whether it has a dock, so the freight quote is right.
Setting up more than one dock or site?
Use the kit finder for a single spot. One link is set for a dock near a drain, the other for a forklift or truck. For 95-gallon kits, platforms or kits for several sites, send a quote request with the addresses and we'll price it in writing.
Find a kit for the dockFind a kit for a forklift or truckRequest a quote
Questions? Call (859) 534-9715 or email sales@wellkeptsupply.com, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM ET.
Related pages: Machine shops and manufacturing · Auto body and repair shops
FAQ
What spill kit should a warehouse keep at the loading dock?
An oil-only kit sized to your largest likely spill, plus socks and a drain cover if a storm drain is nearby. Oil-only absorbents pick up oil and repel water, so rain doesn't saturate them. As an example, SpillTech rates its Oil-Only 20-Gallon OverPack kit (SPKO-20) at up to 15.2 gallons.
What do I need at a forklift battery charging station?
OSHA requires charging in designated areas with facilities for flushing and neutralizing spilled electrolyte, fire protection, protection from trucks and ventilation. Hazmat absorbents help pick up spilled electrolyte but don't neutralize it.
Do fleet vehicle fuel tanks count toward the SPCC threshold?
No. Under 40 CFR 112.1, onboard vehicle fuel tanks (motive power containers) are excluded from aggregate aboveground storage capacity. The rule generally doesn't apply at 1,320 gallons or less, counting only containers of 55 gallons or more, among other conditions.
How do I keep spills out of storm drains?
EPA's stormwater guidance for transportation and warehousing facilities recommends keeping spill cleanup materials readily available, cleaning up spills immediately, using dry cleanup instead of hosing down, and not pouring liquid waste into storm drains. A drain cover and socks near the drain help.
Can you ship kits to several sites?
Yes. We ship to US street addresses. Shipping is calculated at checkout, and freight items such as 95-gallon kits and drum platforms are quoted in writing for each delivery address.
WellKept Supply is a distributor. Some items ship directly from the manufacturer, and lead times vary by product.