Useful information

What is a battery spill kit?

by Danille Bettridge
by Danille Bettridge, Web Store Specialist

While looking at Raymond Handling Concepts Corporation's (RHCC) materials handling web store, you might come across an item called a spill kit, but you might not know what they are or why they're important.


What is a battery spill kitWhat is a battery spill kit? It is a package of materials and supplies that are used to clean up and neutralize battery acid spills.

Battery spills can happen when replacing batteries with cracked cases, which allow the acid to leak. RHCC's battery spill kits meet the following OSHA and DOT requirements for packaging and transporting hazardous wastes:

  • 1926.441(a)(5)- “Face shields, aprons, rubber gloves and quick drenching facilities shall be provided for workers handling acids or batteries”
  • 1910.178(g)(2)- “Facilities shall be provided for neutralizing spilled electrolyte”
  • OSHA Regulation 1910.132- “All employers must provide equipment for cleaning up hazardous materials such as battery acid”

What are the contents of a spill kit?

The kits include the following pieces of wearable gear to ensure that your workers are dressed protectively when cleaning up battery acid:

  • Apron to cover body and clothing
  • Acid resistant gloves to protect hands
  • Safety goggles to shield eyes
  • Disposable boot covers to protect shoes and feet
  • Dust mask to cover mouth and nose
  • Face shield for protection of the face

All of RHCC's spill kits found in our Materials Handling Store are designed to help you quickly respond to and clean up battery acid spills. Each item in our kits is strategically packed so you can quickly dress yourself in the safety gear, contain the spill, neutralize and absorb the acid, and DOT-approved containers for transporting and disposing of the acid and clean up supplies. The kit also includes all the necessary tools for a proper battery acid clean-up:

  • Bucket or barrel with locking lid
  • Brush and pan
  • Disposable plastic bags
  • Danger sign
  • Six-foot barrier rope
  • Absorb bags and containers
  • pH test strips
  • Large kits include neutralizing/absorb pillows

How to use a spill kit

  • All employees that work in environments with batteries need to be trained on where to find and how to use a spill kit in the event of a battery acid spill.
  • Employees should learn the procedures to follow during and after the clean-up of an acid spill, to ensure proper clean-up and disposal.
  • It is important to remember the proper packing of a spill kit, in the case the kit is unpacked and then not re-packed in the proper order. It is to be packed in the order that you will need the materials to allow the acid spill to be cleaned up in the quickest and most thorough way possible. Refer to the information found in your kit, but the general packing order is as follows:
    1. Personal protective equipment is on top to remind employees that the first step is to put on the safety gear.
    2. Danger sign and isolation ropes are next so that employees can cordon off the spill and warn others of the hazard.
    3. Absorbent materials used to clean up the spill are packed next.
    4. Lastly, plastic bags and other tools that will be used to clean up the debris and spill (such as the broom and pan) should be at the bottom of the kit.
    • Assuring that everyone is properly trained and that the kit is set-up in the most efficient way possible creates a more prepared environment in case of a battery acid spill.

    Why Use Storage Bins in a Warehouse?

    by Megan Davis

    Why use storage bins in a warehouse

    When developing a warehouse, there are many different options that you can use to organize items. So, why choose storage bins to help? Let’s first address what exactly makes a bin a storage bin.

    A storage bin is the smallest available unit of space in a warehouse that can be used to place items, stock, and product.

    Ways to use storage bins

    There are a number of ways storage bins can help you organize your warehouse:

    • A storage bin can be used as a place holding device, which will help keep similar items in one area while keeping those items separate from other items, or preventing items from falling through your racking.
    • You can use a number and/or letter system with storage bins to create an effective way of organizing items, making them easier to find and put away. For example, you could label a silver wires bin as A-02-03, meaning that you can find the silver wires in Row A, Stack 2, and Level 3. After you have come up with a system that works best for your warehouse, you can then label each bin to make sure that bins are returned to their designated spots, setting an expected sort and order to your warehouse organization. By using a system to organize the placement of each bin, a storage bin can be used as a navigational tool, helping you find an item's location in your warehouse through the number and/or letter system.
    • Storage bins are useful when you want to pick a small amount of items or stock, as opposed to taking an entire box or pallet down, which might require more time and equipment.

    Storage bins can help organize your warehouse

    • The many different storage bin colors, options, and sizes can help you organize your warehouse based on your particular needs. Some storage bins are made out of special material, such as polypropylene, which is resistant to extreme cold and can withstand temperatures up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The different sizes allow you to choose the particular bin measurements that best fit the shelving. Also, a wide variety of available bin sizes allows you to choose bins to fit the items you want to store.
    • Instead of using a number and/or letter system to label bins, you could also use color coordination. For example, you could place all Raymond-branded products in red bins or nuts and bolts in clear bins. An easy to remember, color-coded system allows employees to find what they need quickly, and also return items to their proper locations. This kind of system can also be more visually pleasing.

    Storage bins allow workers to easily access items

    • Some warehouses place bins containing a small number of items on the easily accessible lower shelves, while placing the remaining stock on the overhead racks. This helps you create a well-organized and efficient system that allows workers to easily access items without the need of a ladder or lift device every single time you need to pick something. Ladders and lift devices are only needed when it's time to restock the storage bins.

    Overall, storage bins can be powerful tool to create an organizationally optimized warehouse, which will save you time and money in the long run.

     

    To purchase storage bins for your warehouse, CLICK HERE