A bund is a secondary containment system designed to capture any liquid that escapes from a primary container.
If your business stores oils, fuels, chemicals or other potentially hazardous liquids, bunded storage may not just be good practice, it could be a legal requirement. Across sectors such as construction, manufacturing, utilities, transport and facilities management, businesses have a responsibility to prevent leaks and spills that could harm people, property and the environment.
How Do You Know If You Need Bunded Storage?
- Do you store oil, diesel, lubricants, chemicals or other liquids that could cause pollution?
- Are you keeping substances in drums, IBCs or tanks?
- Could a leak contaminate drains, watercourses, soil or nearby land?
- Do you operate in sectors with strict environmental compliance requirements?
- Would a spill disrupt operations or create health and safety risks?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, bunded storage should be seriously considered.
What Do Regulations Say?
Several organisations and regulatory bodies provide guidance on managing hazardous substances and pollution prevention:
- The Environment Agency promotes secondary containment measures to help prevent pollution incidents.
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expects businesses to safely manage hazardous substances and minimise risks to employees and the environment.
- The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations set requirements for many oil storage applications across the UK.
- Local authorities and environmental regulators can take enforcement action where inadequate containment results in pollution.
Benefits?
Bunded storage offers benefits that go far beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements. By providing secondary containment for oils, fuels and chemicals, it significantly reduces the risk of environmental contamination and the costly clean-up operations that can follow a leak or spill.
Effective containment measures also help protect your business reputation, demonstrating to customers, stakeholders and regulators that environmental responsibilities are being taken seriously. In addition, bunded storage contributes to a safer workplace by reducing the potential for hazardous substances to create slip, fire or exposure risks. It also supports ESG objectives, provides peace of mind when storing hazardous substances and helps demonstrate due diligence during audits and inspections.
Don't Wait for a Spill to Highlight a Problem
At Hyde Park Environmental, we supply a comprehensive range of bunded storage solutions, including drum stores, IBC bunds, chemical storage units, spill containment systems and secure hazardous substance storage. Our team can help assess your requirements and recommend practical, compliant solutions tailored to your site.
Need advice on bunded storage? Contact Hyde Park Environmental today.