Spill Kit Guide: What Should Be in a Spill Kit and Which Type Do You Need?

The Legal Case for Having a Spill Kit

Spill kits are not mandated by a single piece of legislation, but the regulatory framework around hazardous substances and environmental protection makes them a near-universal requirement for any business that handles liquids.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) require employers to implement adequate control measures for hazardous substances, which includes the ability to contain and manage an accidental release. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 places a duty of care on businesses to prevent their waste — including spilled materials — from causing harm. More specifically, the Water Resources Act 1991 makes it a criminal offence to cause or knowingly permit the discharge of polluting matter into controlled waters. For any business located near a drain, watercourse or bunded area, an uncontrolled spill can trigger regulatory enforcement action, prosecution and significant clean-up costs.

In practice, any COSHH assessment that identifies liquid hazardous substances in use or storage should include spill response as a control measure — and a spill kit is the standard means of delivering that control.

The Three Main Types of Spill Kit

Spill kits are colour-coded by the type of liquid they are designed to absorb. This is a widely adopted industry convention rather than a legal standard, but it is followed consistently by most manufacturers and is important to understand before purchasing.

Yellow — Chemical Spill Kits

Yellow kits contain chemically resistant absorbents suitable for hazardous chemicals including acids, alkalis, solvents and unknown liquids. The absorbent materials in these kits are engineered to remain effective without reacting aggressively to corrosive or reactive substances. Yellow kits are the appropriate choice wherever corrosive or reactive chemicals are in use, and for any situation where the nature of the spilled substance is uncertain. When in doubt, use a yellow kit.

Blue or White — Oil and Hydrocarbon Spill Kits

Blue and white kits use hydrophobic absorbents — materials that repel water but absorb oils, fuels, diesel and petrol. This makes them particularly effective outdoors, where a spill may occur on a wet surface. Hydrophobic pads float and continue to absorb oil even when water is present, making these kits the correct choice for fuel storage areas, vehicle maintenance bays and outdoor refuelling points. They should not be used on water-based chemicals, as the hydrophobic pads will reject water-based liquids.

Grey — General Purpose Spill Kits

Grey kits absorb virtually any liquid, including water, and are the most versatile option for environments where a range of liquids might be spilled. They are commonly found in offices, light industrial settings, food production areas and retail environments where the risk profile is relatively low and the substances in use are unlikely to be highly hazardous. Grey kits are not appropriate where chemical resistance is required.

What You Will Find Inside a Spill Kit

Most standard spill kits include a similar set of components:

• Absorbent pads: flat sheets that absorb liquid quickly; used directly on a spill to soak up the bulk of the material
• Absorbent socks: tube-shaped absorbent rolls used to form a perimeter around a spill, preventing it from spreading to drains or adjacent areas
• Disposal bags and cable ties: used materials must be contained for disposal; bags and ties are included for this purpose
• Nitrile gloves: personal protection for the person responding to the spill
• Goggles and coveralls: typically included in larger chemical-specific kits
• Instruction card: step-by-step guidance for responders who may not have received specific spill response training

Kits are typically supplied in a clearly labelled bag, bucket, wheelie bin or drum depending on size and intended use. The container itself often doubles as a waste receptacle for used absorbents.

Choosing the Right Size

Matching kit size to the risk on site is important. If a kit cannot absorb the largest likely spill, it is insufficient as a control measure. The general rule is to select a kit rated to absorb at least the volume of the largest single container on site, plus a safety margin:

• Small kits (typically 20 litres absorption): suitable for offices, kitchens or sites with small containers of hazardous liquids
• Medium kits (50–100 litres): appropriate for workshops, laboratories and light industrial settings with moderate quantities of chemicals or oils
• Large wheeled drum kits (200 litres or more): for sites with bulk storage, large drums or significant spillage risk. The drum functions both as transport and as a container for used absorbent materials post-clean-up

Where multiple containers of the same substance are stored together, consider the cumulative spillage scenario — for instance, if a pallet of 25-litre containers were to tip — rather than planning only for a single container.

Where to Position Spill Kits

A spill kit stored in a locked storeroom at the far end of a building is not a useful piece of emergency equipment. Positioning matters as much as specification:

• Site kits within immediate reach — ideally within 10 seconds of travel — of the spill risk area
• Place kits near chemical storage areas, decanting points and loading or unloading areas
• Ensure kits are clearly labelled and visible; consider floor markings or signage to aid quick location
• Do not store kits inside chemical storage cabinets — they need to be accessible without entering the hazard area first

Responding to a Spill: the Correct Order of Actions

1. Assess the situation before approaching — is the substance unknown, fuming or involved in a fire? Call the emergency services if in any doubt.
2. Put on appropriate PPE (gloves, goggles) before making contact with the spill or the kit contents.
3. Deploy absorbent socks around the perimeter of the spill to prevent it reaching drains or spreading further.
4. Apply absorbent pads to the body of the spill, working from the outside edge inwards.
5. Place all used materials into disposal bags and seal with the cable ties provided.
6. Dispose of bagged material in accordance with hazardous waste regulations — used absorbents contaminated with hazardous chemicals are classified as hazardous waste and cannot be placed in general waste.
7. Replenish the spill kit immediately after use so it is ready for the next incident.

Record every spill incident in your site log. Repeated spills in the same location may indicate a need for improved secondary containment, modified handling procedures or a review of your COSHH assessment.

Secondary Containment: a Complement to Spill Kits

Spill kits deal with spills after they occur. Secondary containment — bunded pallets, drip trays and sump storage cabinets — prevents spills from spreading in the first place. Used together, they provide a layered approach to liquid risk management that is more effective than either measure alone. The most robust sites use secondary containment to limit the scale of any release and maintain spill kits to deal with what secondary containment cannot contain.

Browse our full range of spill kits and spill response equipment, including chemical, oil and general purpose kits in sizes from 20 to 200 litres. For bunded storage of the chemicals themselves, see our COSHH storage cabinets.