What To Do If You Have a Domestic Oil Spill?

If you use oil in your home, you will have a domestic oil tank to store it in. These come in a range of different types, according to what is best for you and your home – from plastic bunded oil tanks to steel bunded heating oil tanks. These are designed and made to be safe and secure, but it is always possible that there is a problem and a domestic oil spill occurs.

There are a few reasons why a domestic oil spill could happen. These include:

• Damage to the tank
• Damage to the mechanisms within the tank
• Failure of some of the equipment in the oil tank system

Oil is very damaging and a fire hazard when it is spilt, and it is, therefore, vital that if you have a domestic oil spill, you deal with it properly.

If You Have a Domestic Oil Spill

If you have a domestic oil spill, the most important thing is to make sure that you deal with it straight away. This keeps you, people around you, and your local environment as safe as possible. If you notice that there has been a problem with your domestic oil tank that has caused a leak, you should:

Stop the Leak

Before you do anything else, it is important that you stop the leak before it gets any worse. In much the same way as you would turn the water off at the source if you have a burst pipe, it is important to turn the oil tank’s isolation valve.

Turning the oil off at the source will not resolve the problem, but it will prevent it from leaking any more oil.

Deal with the Oil Safely

The next step is to safely deal with the oil that has spilled. Oil can emit dangerous fumes and is highly flammable. If you have had an oil spill there are some key factors that you should bear in mind, including:

• Do not smoke, eat or drink anywhere near to the oil
• If you sense a strong smell of oil, open the windows and doors to ventilate the area well
• Keep children and pets away from oil
• Catch any dripping oil with a bucket

You should also try to deal with the oil that has been spilled as quickly as possible. Oil can be dangerous to animals and plants in the local area and can be extremely dangerous if it gets into the local watercourses.

To absorb the spilt oil, it is recommended that you use an absorbent material such as earth, sand, or cat litter spread generously on the spill. Do not try to wash the oil away with a hose or soap.

Try to Identify the Issue

Now that you have dealt with the immediate problem of having oil leaking into the local area, the next step is to try to identify where the leak has come from and what the problem is. The most common cause of an oil leak is a damaged oil tank.

You may be able to temporarily stem the flow of the oil by using a sealant if you have a steel domestic oil tank, or, if you have a plastic domestic oil tank, a bar of soft soap rubbed over the split can be very useful to help to stem the flow.

This is not a long-term solution, however. You will need to then either replace the oil tank or get a professional to repair it properly, depending on the problem.

Calculate the Oil Loss

It is important that you are able to measure how much oil you have lost in the spill. This is so that you can notify the relevant authorities, as well as buy the correct amount of oil to replace that which was spilt. Using a gauge is an excellent way to measure how much oil there is in the tank, enabling you to calculate how much has been lost.

Notify the Environment Agency

It is essential that when you have an oil spill, domestic or commercial, large, or small, you notify your Local Authority. You should ensure that the Environment Agency is informed so that it can deal with any environmental damage that has been caused – or safeguard against any potential damage.

Reducing the Risk of Damage

There is always the potential that damage can be caused to a domestic oil tank. Whilst some of it is unavoidable, sometimes it can be avoidable. To help to reduce the chances of an oil spill, you should think about:

• What type of domestic oil tank you are using – a bunded oil tank adds an extra layer of protection to a single skin oil tank.
• The material that the oil tank is made from – plastic or steel.
• Where the tank is placed – is it at a higher risk from damage and open to the elements that could cause rust, for example?