Afrisupply Calls for Spill Kit Stock Checks Before the December Shutdown

Most South African workplaces spend November closing out the year. Production targets are chased, stock is moved, trucks run extra loads and maintenance teams try to finish jobs before the December shutdown. Afrisupply, the Boksburg manufacturer and supplier of spill response and containment products, says this is exactly the moment to open every spill kit on site and check what is really inside it. A kit that was used in winter and never refilled, or a drip tray that was moved to another bay, is easy to miss in a busy month, and the festive period is a poor time to find out.

The company is asking safety officers, fleet managers, warehouse supervisors and plant engineers to treat the weeks before the break as a stock take for spill readiness. The aim is simple: when skeleton staff take over in December, or when a tanker is on the road over the holidays, the equipment they reach for should be complete, labelled and in the right place.

Why the end of the year needs its own check

The end of the year changes how a site runs. Experienced staff go on leave, contractors and temporary workers fill gaps, and the usual routines get shorter. At the same time, many businesses are moving more fuel, oil, chemicals and finished goods than at any other point in the year. Gauteng and much of the country are also in the middle of the summer rain season, which means a spill on an open yard can reach a stormwater drain faster than it would in the dry months.

Afrisupply points out that South African legislation, including the Waste Management Act and the Hazardous Substances Act, places responsibility for the full clean up and remediation of a spill on the organisation that caused it. If contamination reaches a river, the costs can be heavy and negligence can carry serious penalties. Having the right gear on hand, ready to use, is the most practical way to limit a small incident before it becomes an expensive one.

What a pre-shutdown check should cover

Every Afrisupply kit ships with a full inventory and a spill response guide. The guide gives step by step instructions for using the kit, and the inventory exists so that contents can be checked and reordered after use. Afrisupply encourages teams to use that list now, before the break, and to work through four simple questions for each kit on site and in each vehicle.

First, is everything on the inventory still in the container? Absorbent pads, socks, booms and personal protective equipment are often taken out for small jobs and never replaced. Second, is the kit the right type for the hazard nearby? Oil only kits suit hydrocarbons, while chemical and hazmat kits are designed for more aggressive substances, and biological, cytotoxic, mercury, glass and paint spill kits each have their own place. Third, is the kit clearly labelled and easy to see? Afrisupply labels its kits for quick visual identification in an emergency, but labels can fade or be covered by stacked stock. Fourth, does the person on duty in December know where the kit is and how to use it?

Kits sized for sites and for vehicles

Afrisupply's Spill Kits are built for containing and cleaning up hydrocarbons, solvents and other organic liquid spills, as well as for specialised hazmat substances. On fixed sites, the kits come in wheelie bin trolleys in 80L, 130L, 240L, 660L and 1000L sizes, so a construction site, warehouse or manufacturing plant can match the volume to the risk and move the kit to where it is needed. For smaller storage spaces, the company manufactures robust, rip proof PVC carry bags that fit inside a truck or tanker cab or hang from a wall mounted hook.

That vehicle format matters over the holidays. Transport operators who keep running through December often have drivers covering unfamiliar routes, and a kit in the cab is the first line of response if a load leaks or a fuel line fails. Both the wheelie and truck and tanker kits contain the absorbents, containment products and standard PPE needed to deal with a spill effectively.

Containment for parked equipment and stored drums

When a plant goes quiet for the holidays, machines, generators and drums are often left standing for weeks. Slow leaks that would be noticed during a normal shift can go unseen until staff return. Afrisupply's polyethylene Drip Trays are made for exactly this kind of situation. The range includes solid trays in small (75cm x 45cm x 10cm), medium (100cm x 60cm x 10cm) and large (100cm x 100cm x 10cm) sizes, along with mesh drip trays in matching footprints. Placing a tray under parked plant, a drum stand or a refuelling point before the shutdown is a low cost way to keep drips off the floor and out of the drains.

For larger volumes, the company also supplies spill decks and PVC containment products, and it can customise containment to the layout of a particular site.

Protecting the people on duty

Spill readiness is not only about the substance on the floor. Workers handling chemicals need immediate access to clean water if a splash reaches the eyes. Afrisupply supplies a range of Eye Wash Stations, from double bottle eyewash kits with brackets and saline solution to wall mountable units and free standing emergency stations operated by hand, by foot or by both. Bottled stations need their contents checked and replaced, and fixed stations need to be unobstructed and easy to find. The weeks before the break are a sensible time to confirm both.

The company's wider range also covers emergency showers, first aid kits, absorbents, contained absorbents, degreaser, roadside safety items and speciality kits, so a single order can close several gaps found during the check.

Custom kits and resellers

Afrisupply caters for the local South African market as well as clients in other parts of Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Because the company manufactures its own PVC products and assembles its own kits, it can customise spill kits to the requirements of a specific industry or site. Businesses that resell safety products can also apply to become Afrisupply resellers. For teams that want to refresh their knowledge before the holidays, the company publishes product demonstration videos and spill kit training videos on its website.

Finish the year ready

Afrisupply's message for November is practical. Open the kits, count what is there, replace what is missing, put trays under anything that might drip and make sure the people on duty in December know where everything is. A short check now can save a long clean up in January. To request a quote, book a reseller enquiry or browse the full range, visit https://www.afrisupply.co.za/.

About Afrisupply

Afrisupply is a South African manufacturer and supplier of spill kits, absorbents, drip trays and hazmat spill containment products, based at Unit B, 222 14th Avenue, Anderbolt, Boksburg. Its range includes oil only, chemical, universal, biological and other specialised spill kits in wheelie bin and PVC bag formats, polyethylene and mesh drip trays, spill decks, eye wash stations, emergency showers, first aid kits and customised PVC products. The company serves clients in South Africa as well as in other parts of Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Media Contact
Afrisupply
Email: info@afrisupply.co.za
Phone: +27 11 914 5219
Website: https://www.afrisupply.co.za/