Within the industry, pallets that have a big sump to catch spills are called bunding or spill pallets. These pallets have a space for possible chemical or oil spills. There are standards for using bunding pallets, which are outlined by Australian Standards.

To be specific, the Australian Standards AS 1940-2017 amends the AS 1940-2004, and is the Australian Standard for ‘the storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids’. As per the AS 1940-2017, it is very important to note that flammable liquids must not be stored on plastic bunds, only on steel or in concrete bunding units or areas, as plastic bunds could melt in the event of a fire.

As a rough guide for standard bunded areas, the containment should be a minimum of 110% of the capacity of the largest container. The Australian Standard AS 1940-2017 has further details regarding this matter.

Below is a rough guide to minimum spill containment units for the following drum or IBC containment size:

• 5L needs a minimum of 5.5L (5L x 110%)
• 25L needs a minimum of 27.5L (25L x 110%)
• 200L needs a minimum of 220L (200 x 110%)
• 1000L needs a minimum of 1100L (1000L x 110%)

When storing 4 x 200L drums (or as they are affectionately termed – 44 gallon drums) on one pallet, the bund must be at 110% capacity for one of the drums; this is because it’s highly unlikely that all four drums would spring a leak at the same time. (The term “44 gallon”  refers to the UK (Imperial) Gallon, where 1 UK gallon equals 4.54609 litres.)

Meanwhile, here is the shortlist of options of bunded/spill pallets:

Full-size pallet 4 drum bund – pallet racking compatible plastic unit

• ‘Four drum bund’
• Containment capacity + 250 litres
• Approximate dimensions: 1250mm x 1250mm x 300mm
• Base has cut-outs on the underside – pallet racking compatible, or suitable for floor/ground storage
• Unit fits 4 x 200L drums or multiple 5L or 25L drums or buckets
• Unit has removable drain plugs/bungs to assist in drainage of the spill pallet
• Bright orange colour for visibility

Full-size pallet 4 drum bund – standard plastic unit

• ‘Four drum bund’
• Containment capacity + 240 litres
• Approximate dimensions: 1230mm x 1230mm x 280mm
• Flat base – suitable for floor/ground storage
• Unit fits 4 x 200L drums or multiple 5L or 25L drums or buckets
• Complete with a removable polypropylene grate for ease of cleaning of the sump
• The grate acts as a ‘solid’ top – can operate with or without a wooden pallet to capture leaks, drips and spills
• Unit has three removable drain plugs/bungs to assist in drainage of the spill pallet

Half-size pallet 2 pallet bund – standard plastic unit

• ‘Two drum bund’
• Containment capacity + 240 litres
• Approximate dimensions: 1230mm x 640mm x 515mm
• Flat base – suitable for floor/ground storage
• Unit fits 2 x 200L drums or multiple 5L or 25L drums or buckets
• Removable polypropylene grate for ease of cleaning of the sump
• The grate acts as a ‘solid’ top – can operate with or without a wooden half-size pallet to capture leaks, drips and spills
• Unit has three removable drain plugs/bungs to assist in drainage of the spill pallet

Full-size pallet 4 drum bund – pallet racking compatible galvanised unit

• ‘Four drum bund’
• Containment capacity + 250 litres
• Approximate dimensions: 1250mmx1250mmx263mm
• Base has a specific profile – pallet racking compatible, suitable for floor/ground storage
• This unit fits 4 x 200L drums or multiple 5L or 25L drums or buckets
• Suitable for the storage of certain flammable liquids (refer specific product instructions)
• Unit has a removable waste drain plug/bung for drainage of the spill pallet
• 4 hold down lugs
• Anti-tilt under rails

Single IBC bund – plastic unit

• ‘Single IBC bund’
• Containment capacity +1150 litres
• Approximate dimensions: 1900mm x 1500mm x 750mm
• Unit fits 1 x 1000L IBC, (or can be used for 4 x 200L drums or multiple 5L or 25L drums or buckets)
• 2 removable polypropylene grates for sump cleaning and IBC, pallet, or drums support
• Chemical resistant polyethylene bund and polypropylene grates can endure harsh environments
• Unit has a removable drain plugs/bungs to assist in drainage of the spill pallet
• Manufactured and tested in Australia with a 2000kg UDL
• Moulded forklift pockets with dual sided access allow convenient positioning. (Move only when IBC have been removed)
• Unique design maximises floor space and allows nesting of multiple containment bunds for storage or transport

Double IBC pallet bund – plastic unit

• ‘Double IBC bund’
• Containment capacity +1470 litres
• Approximate dimensions: 2760mm x 1480mm x 660mm
• Unit fits 2 x 1000L IBC’s, (or can fit 8 x 200L drums or multiple 5L or 25L drums or buckets)
• Unit has a removable drain plugs/bungs to assist in drainage of the spill pallet
• Side-by-side containment without the cost of buying two single units
• Complete with removable polypropylene grates for ease of cleaning of the sump and to support the IBC, pallet or drums
• Chemical resistant polyethylene bund and polypropylene grate can endure harsh environments.
• Manufactured and tested in Australia with a 3600kg UDL
• Moulded forklift pockets with dual sided access allow convenient positioning. (Move only when IBC are removed)
• Bunds designed to stack inside each other for reduced freight cost of multiple units

Single IBC bund – galvanised unit

• ‘Single IBC bund’
• Containment capacity + 1250 litres
• Approximate dimensions: 1456mm x 1456mm x 830mm
• Base has cut-outs on the underside – so pallet racking compatible, or also suitable to be stored on the floor/ground
• Unit fits 1 x 1000L IBC, (or can fit 4 x 200L drums or multiple 5L or 25L drums or buckets)
• Suitable for the storage of certain flammable liquids (refer specific product instructions)
• Complete with removable grate for sump cleaning and IBC, pallet, or drums support
• Unit has removable drain plugs/bungs to assist in drainage of the spill pallet

Before starting to use any bunding to protect your chemicals or other liquids, it’s important to have due diligence with the compatibility of bund material with chemical properties. Certain spill pallets only can be used for some chemicals.

Certain sites store 100s of IBCs or 200L drums, and therefore individual bunding would not be practical. In this case, a concrete bund is one of the options that is used; in high traffic areas, another option is the self-adhesive modular strips that provide spill containment and protection for tanks, drums, equipment, including machinery and vehicles in high traffic areas.

A well-designed bunding gives the operator flexible options for multiple applications. The collapsible bunding unit, which can be assembled or dismantled easily and quickly, is one such option. These units can be used in the field where vehicle repairs – by extension oil spills – may occur. These containment units are an effective way to contain/surround a large vehicle or piece of machinery. Daywalk is able to supply the size that is needed for such an application.

Certain industrial sites are required to transport drums of liquid from the warehouse to other locations on site. This transport can involve forklift driving over bumpy ground, and this can potentially cause drums to fall off the spill pallet. Daywalk has also been called upon to manufacture cage sides that are compatible with the plastic four drum bund units so that there are sides to retain the drums.

Another alternative is to unitise the product on the spill pallet by suitable strapping. In addition to this horizontal unitising strapping, straps can be used to tie the product down to the pallet.

As for battery acid spills, it’s important to ensure that the material of the spill containment unit is compatible with the specific battery acid of the batteries being stored. For complete control of any spillage or spraying of liquid, Daywalk offers a fully shielded unit, ensuring any liquid escaping from a battery will be shielded and directed into the containment spill bund.

For further information on spill containment, visit daywalk.com  or contact the technical team at sales@daywalk.com. For more information on chemical storage and bunding compatibility, contact sales@daywalk.com as well.