Smart questions
Smart answers
Smart people
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Member Login

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips now!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!

Join Eng-Tips
*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

LINK TO THIS FORUM!

Add Stickiness To Your Site By Linking To This Professionally Managed Technical Forum.
Just copy and paste the
code below into your site.

Partner With Us!

"Best Of Breed" Forums Add Stickiness To Your Site
Partner Button
(Download This Button Today!)

Feedback

"...I have never been to any technical site that shows concern just to anybody with problems...I look forward to also share in the future..."

Geography

Where in the world do Eng-Tips members come from?
twellmanjr (Electrical)
4 Oct 07 16:47
I work at an oil refinery in Minnesota and in the asphalt terminal we have 5 gallon pails that hang from a top loading spout to catch dribble.  When these pails become full they're removed and placed in the rack to await pick up and removal by our contractor. During that in between time the buckets are tipped over sometimes or just leak. The asphalt tends to leak out onto the equipment or ground below. We're unsure of a good way to manage this or a permanent fix to catch the dripping asphalt and dispose of it properly. Does anyone have any suggestions?
safetydan (Industrial)
5 Oct 07 11:27
One thing you should consider is transferring the "dribble" to a larger container, like a LABELED 55 gallon drum, until time for disposal.  Just having 5 gallon buckets of the liquid asphalt laying around violates several regulations in OSHA and the EPA.  
twellmanjr (Electrical)
6 Oct 07 11:32
We have been placing HMIS labels on every bucket, pail, or 55 gallon drum we use.  Initially a year or so ago I ran into one of those EPA issues because the company I work for wasn't labeling the pails. When I discovered this I corrected that issue. However besides labeling them is there anything else I have missed that we are in violation of?

Also I probably didn't explain it that well, but where these pails sit after they're full is where I'd like to put secondary containment. I want to ensure that all chemicals are caught before hitting the ground.

I was thinking of placing poly below it and then changing it out every so often when it gets to dirty. I also thought about designing a metal vat with a drain so the asphalt or fuel oil may run down this hole into a labeled 55 gallon drum. The vat as I call will hold our full buckets until picked up. During that time if they drip they will drip into the vat and run into the barrel.

What do you think?
safetydan (Industrial)
8 Oct 07 13:21
I think you are on the right track with the containment vat.  You have to have something to catch the drips and spills from the asphalt.  Because asphalt is a petrolium distillate you basically need to manage it like any other oil.  I really think your best option is to buy or build a larger bulk container (300 gallon) for collecting the asphalt until it is time for disposal. With one larger container, you run into fewer issues of leaks or spills than with 5 gallon buckets.  Make sure you have secondary containment at least 150% of your primary container and do everything you can to clean up your prior spills.  

One question, what does your SPCC (Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures) Plan, and your SWPPP say?  

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!

Close Box

Join Eng-Tips® Today!

Join your peers on the Internet's largest technical engineering professional community.
It's easy to join and it's free.

Here's Why Members Love Eng-Tips Forums:

Register now while it's still free!

Already a member? Close this window and log in.

Join Us             Close