Afrisupply Links Spill Readiness to Gauteng’s Summer Storm Season

The first heavy afternoon storms of the season are starting to roll across the Highveld, and for anyone who runs a yard, a depot, a workshop or a forecourt in Gauteng, October changes the risk picture. A drip of diesel that would have dried on hot concrete in August can now be carried across a site in minutes and into the nearest storm water grid. Afrisupply, the Boksburg manufacturer and supplier of spill containment and hazmat products, is using the start of the summer rainfall months to remind South African businesses that the time to check spill equipment is before the rain arrives on site, not after a sheen appears in the drain.

The company’s position is simple and is set out plainly on its own website: a spill that is not contained quickly can run off a site, enter a storm water drain and end up in an open river. Once that happens, the cost, the risk to staff and the damage to the environment all increase sharply. Wet weather does not create spills, but it makes every unmanaged spill travel further and faster, which is why the change of season is a sensible moment for a fresh look at what is on hand.

Why the rainy season raises the stakes

Many spills on a working site are not dramatic. They are leaks from a parked truck, a drum that is knocked over during offloading, a hydraulic line that weeps under a machine, or a small overfill at a fuel point. On a dry day these are messy but manageable. During a summer storm, the same incident mixes with running water, spreads over a far larger area and heads for the lowest point on the property, which is usually a drain.

Afrisupply points out that South African legislation, including the Waste Management Act and the Hazardous Substances Act, places responsibility for spills on the organisation that caused them. If contamination reaches a river, the entity involved can be held responsible for the full remediation and its impact on land and people. The company notes that this can carry heavy costs and fines and, where negligence is found, the possibility of imprisonment. Its FAQ also refers to SANS 1186, which requires transporters, manufacturers, suppliers and others working with hazmat products to take proactive steps to prevent spills and to manage them properly when they do happen.

For safety officers, that framework turns spill readiness from a nice to have into part of basic compliance. It also explains why the company stresses having both proactive measures, such as containment under stored liquids, and reactive measures, such as a stocked kit within reach, in place for minor and major spills alike. Afrisupply notes that this two sided approach is also a quick way for organisations to align with ISO certification requirements.

Spill kits matched to the substance and the site

At the centre of the Afrisupply range are its Spill Kits, which the company designs to deal quickly and effectively with hydrocarbons, solvents, chemicals and other liquid spills. The type of kit depends on what is being handled. Afrisupply classifies them broadly as hydrocarbon or oil only kits, which absorb oil and repel water, universal kits for oils and non aggressive chemicals, chemical or hazmat kits for aggressive chemicals and bases, and biological kits for bodily fluids. For the rainy season, the oil only option is especially relevant on outdoor sites, because an absorbent that repels water keeps working on a wet surface instead of filling up with rainwater.

Size and format matter as much as the absorbent. Afrisupply supplies wheelie bin spill kits in 80L, 130L, 240L, 660L and 1000L trolleys for construction sites, warehouses, forecourts and manufacturing plants. For vehicles, it manufactures robust, rip proof PVC carry bags designed for small spaces such as a truck or tanker cab, or for hanging on a wall mounted hook. Every kit is clearly labelled so it can be identified in an emergency, and each contains the absorbents, containment products and standard PPE needed for the job, along with a full inventory and a spill response guide. That inventory is useful after a busy storm season, because it lets a site check what has been used and reorder before the next incident. The company also supplies refills and spill consumables for exactly that purpose.

The company is clear about what a truck or tanker kit is for. It is not meant to clean up a full load. Its job is to deal with day to day spills and, in a major incident, to let the driver block off storm water drains and contain a runaway spill while the response team is on its way. On a wet road or a flooded loading bay, those first few minutes are exactly when containment matters most.

Keeping leaks off the ground in the first place

The cheapest spill to clean up is the one that never reaches the ground. Afrisupply manufactures polyethylene Drip Trays in small, medium and large sizes, from 75cm by 45cm up to 100cm by 100cm, as well as mesh drip trays in the same footprints. Placed under machinery, pumps, generators, decanting points and parked equipment, they catch slow leaks before they mix with rainwater and spread across a yard.

For stored liquids, the company’s spill decks provide portable bunding for anything from small 25L containers through to 210L drums and IBC tanks. Afrisupply also makes customised PVC containment products for sites that need an easily transportable solution built to their own specification. As the summer rain sets in, these products help sites keep secondary containment in place in areas that would otherwise drain straight into the storm water system.

Protecting people as well as the environment

Spill response is not only about the ground. Anyone handling chemicals, cleaning up a spill or working near decanting points can be exposed to splashes, and when that happens to the eyes, there is very little time to act. Afrisupply supplies a range of Eye Wash Stations, from portable double bottle kits and saline solution cases to wall mountable units and free standing stations operated by hand, by foot or by both. The company also supplies emergency showers and first aid kits, so a site can review its personal safety equipment alongside its spill kits in one go.

The summer months tend to bring more outdoor work, more washing down of equipment and more handling of cleaning chemicals and degreasers, so a fresh check that eye wash stations are filled, accessible and clearly marked fits naturally into a pre storm season review.

Who the range serves

Afrisupply caters for a broad spread of industries, and its product descriptions point to transport and tanker fleets, manufacturing plants, warehouses, fuel forecourts, construction sites and laboratories. Beyond the core spill kits, the range includes absorbents such as coco peat, chemical absorbent scatter and powder, biological absorbent granules and a remediation agent, as well as speciality kits for mercury, paint, glass, cytotoxic and HACCP environments. The company also offers a hydro carbon degreaser, cabinets, basic fire equipment, roadside safety items and recycling units.

The company describes itself as a South African specialist manufacturer and supplier of customised PVC products, hazmat and pollution contamination spill kits, containment products and absorbents. It serves the local South African market as well as clients in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Its team can also assist with site spill risk assessments, helping businesses identify where spills are most likely and which practical solutions suit each area.

A practical pre season checklist

For businesses preparing for the wet months, Afrisupply’s guidance translates into a short list of checks. Walk the site and identify every drain, especially those near loading bays, fuel points and wash bays. Confirm that a suitable kit is within reach of each high risk area and that every truck or tanker carries its own. Open each kit and check its contents against the inventory, replacing anything that has been used or has perished. Put drip trays under equipment that is known to leak and make sure stored drums and IBCs sit on proper containment. Check that eye wash stations are full and unobstructed. Finally, make sure staff know where the equipment is and how to use it. Afrisupply publishes spill kit training videos and product demonstration videos on its website for exactly this purpose.

None of these steps is complicated, but together they make the difference between a minor cleanup and a reportable incident when the first big storm of the season arrives in the middle of a shift.

Ordering and resellers

Afrisupply supplies businesses directly and also works with resellers, with a dedicated reseller programme for companies that want to carry its range. Customers can build a quote list online, request a formal quote and browse the product catalogue and current promotions. Because the company manufactures and customises its own products, it can also build spill kits to a site’s specific requirements rather than offering only standard configurations.

Businesses that want to prepare their sites before the heaviest rain arrives can view the full range, request a quote and watch the training material at https://www.afrisupply.co.za/.

About Afrisupply

Afrisupply is a South African manufacturer and supplier of spill kits, absorbents, drip trays, spill containment and hazmat products, based in Anderbolt, Boksburg, in Gauteng. Its range includes oil only, universal, chemical and biological spill kits in wheelie bin and PVC bag formats, polyethylene and mesh drip trays, spill decks, emergency showers, eye wash stations, first aid kits, speciality kits and customised PVC products. The company serves clients in South Africa and in other parts of Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Media Contact
Afrisupply
Email: info@afrisupply.co.za
Phone: +27 11 914 5219
Website: https://www.afrisupply.co.za/