There are many different containment solutionsfor storing dangerous materials. Numerous bodies regulate and put in force how materials should be stored such as OSHA, EPA and DEC. These institutions or government bodies are responsible for setting guidelines in the safe storage of materials and indicating containment solutions specifications. The storage of a dangerous material, such as petroleum, is vastly different from something like water containment solutions. This is because there are several potential risks from the wrong use and storage of the liquid that it is vital it be stored appropriately. Petroleum gas is highly combustible and with wrong storage there is risk of fire, explosions, and damage to property or people. Whether storing petroleum at home or in a work environment it is essential to know the regulations and realize why they are in place for your safety and people around.
Petroleum is a complex hydrocarbon fossil fuel produced from crude oil which is mainly recovered from drilling deep into the earth and after that pumped out. It is a finite resource that will gradually be depleted, especially at the rate of use we observe these days. The uses of petroleum vary from refining to make motor fuel to being used in plastics and also other manufacturing like those utilized by PTI quality containment solutions. It is the most literal sense that petroleum comprises of only crude oil, but in common usage it includes all liquid, gaseous, and solid hydrocarbons. Petroleum as we know it for use in automobiles is actually octane, a saturated hydrocarbon with 8 carbon molecules, and we see it daily as the octane rating on gas pumps. It is crucial to store any form of petroleum the right way because from the initial crude oil point, until it is utilized in whatever combustion procedure, the gases emitted by the product are highly combustible as well as posing a nasty threat to the environment should they leak or spill.
The storage of petroleum products is significant from the second it is pumped from the ground. The recently highlighted risks of large petroleum spills were seen during the Deep-water Horizon or Gulf of Mexico BP spill that afflicted hundreds of miles of coastline and marine life. This was simply as the petroleum was leaving the ground, before it even reached land. Poor management of petroleum may result in chemicals related to petroleum leaching into the groundwater supplies polluting waterways, streams, as well as drinking water reservoirs once they have left the oil rig as well. The transport of petroleum is dangerous enough but should it spill the environmental consequences are huge. Companies also wish to steer clear of such leaks for the bad publicity and expensive clean up they involve.
With regards to petroleum containment solutions the old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is really true. Proper containment solutions are usually far more economical than the clean up after a leakage. Smaller containment set ups may simply be a grounded labeled cabinet, with proper storage container and a spill containment tray as a solution for petroleum needs. This would be in the case of a small petroleum product storage facility. Typically this arrangement would be for less than 500 gallons or so as a higher amount would be safer stored in a tank rather than multiple containers. Most companies start their solution with some kind of containment policy. This will be in line with the OSHA and EPA standards with specific reference to the company operation. Commercial petroleum storage on a bigger scale generally requires much more rigorous regulation than that of home use.