2. Introduction This module defines the differences
between confinement, containment and
spill recovery.
Methods
Advantages
Disadvantages
Materials that could be utilized at an
incident involving a HazMat/WMD

3. Enabling Learning Objectives
13-1 Define the difference between
confinement and containment
13-2 Identify the basic methods for confining
substance spills on land and explain their
advantages and limitations
13-3 Identify the basic methods for confining
spills of sinking, floating, and soluble
substance spills on water and explain their

4. Enabling Learning Objectives
13-4 Define the purpose for and the
procedures, equipment, and safety
precautions used with each of these
methods, and demonstrate the ability to
select methods appropriate for a given
HazMat/WMD incident.

5. Enabling Learning Objectives
Diking and damming
Pneumatic equipment
Excavation
Sealed booms
Overflow dam
Diversion
Weir dam
Diversion channels
Underflow dam/weir
Retention
Booms
Sorbents
Natural
Synthetic
13-5 Demonstrate the proper use of the
methods listed above

6. Confinement-Containment-Spill Recovery

7. Confinement vs. Containment
Confinement Method Example
Diking/Damming
Use soil, sand, or clay to stop or divert flow
Excavation
Dig trench, pit, or ponds to collect or treat the product
Booming
Use straw or commercial booms to collect the product
Pumping
Pump the product to a container or pit to collect or treat it
Vapor suppression
Use foam or water fog to reduce or redirect vapors
Containment Method/Situation
Example
Plugging
Hole, tear in container
Wedges, plugs, screws, etc.
Patching
Patch kit, epoxy, vetter bag, etc.
Capping/
repairing
Leaking valve
Valves, safety devices
Chlorine or Midland kit
Replace/repair

8. Confinement Main purpose reduce the area of contamination
Processes vary with
location
Compatibility
Incompatibility

9. Confinement on Land Product spills on land can move in several
directions at the same time
  The material movement depends on many
other factors, such as:
Soil type, such as how porous it is
Soil condition, dry, wet, snow covered,
covered with ice or frozen
Slope
Proximity of manholes, drains, culverts
Presence of asphalt, concrete, or tile
Presence of obstructions.

10. General Confinement Operations
Responders must stay clear of the
HazMat/WMD
Responders using hand tools may need some
level of protection
Heavy equipment - ignition for a flammable
liquid or gas.
Equipment operators-OSHA "Skilled Support
Personnel" and their required levels of
protection and training in CFR 29
(q)(4).

11. Materials Compatibility
Fire hose (effective on a flat surface.)
Foams (these do not absorb spilled material and
thus add less contaminated material to dispose
of later.)
Bucket, recovery drum, or other similar open top
container
Sorbents socks
Pumps or vacuums

12. Diking/Damming Diking/damming will increase the
volume of contaminated material
requiring cleanup.
Equipment needed may include:
Shovels and other hand tools
Front-end loader
Backhoe
Dump truck
Man-way covers
Vetter bags, to block culverts

13. Recovery Operations Recovery Operations for
confinement is an offensive
action which seals product
inside an outer container.
A "containment" action,
such as patching or
plugging, is usually
required to keep much of
the product in its original
container as possible.

14. Recovery Operations Make sure that the recovery container is
compatible with the
product and original
container.
It also must be large
enough to hold the
container easily, without
damaging it.

15. Overflow Dam An insoluble product with a specific gravity > 1.0
sink  
Overflow dam
A weir dam
Substance, or simply hold the substance back
Plastic Sheeting to protect dam
Up stream side

16. Overflow Dam

17. Underflow Dam An insoluble HazMat/WMD with a specific
gravity <1.0 will float.
Spills of over 5,000 gallons impractical in
inclement weather.
Rainfall can wash away an earthen dam.
Plastic Sheeting to protect dam
Up stream side

18. Underflow Dams

19. Booms Containment booms have four basic elements: An above-water
freeboard
A flotation device
A below-water "skirt”
A "longitudinal support”

20. Basic Types of Booms Fence booms Round or curtain booms
Non-rigid or inflatable
booms
Floating booms

21. Using Booms Perform well in gentle seas or moving water
Rough and choppy water is likely to
contribute to boom failure.
Lengthening a boom's skirt or freeboard can
aid in containment.
Will not operate properly waves are higher
than one meter or 39” or currents faster than
one knot per hour or 1.15 miles per hour.

22. Sorbents
Sorbents – Found in two basic types
Absorbents
Adsorbents

23. Sorbents Natural organic sorbents - organic products
Peat moss or straw
Cellulose fibers or cork
Corn cobs
Chicken or duck feathers
Adsorb between 3 and 15 times weight in
water
Difficult to collect after spread on the water
Can overcome the sinking issue

24. Sorbents Natural inorganic sorbents Mineral compounds
Volcanic ash or perlite;
Vermiculite or zeolite
Adsorb from 4 to 20 times their weight
in oil or HazMat/WMD are inexpensive
These types of sorbents are not used
on the water's surface.

25. Synthetic Sorbents Designed to adsorb liquids onto their surfaces
Include cross-linked polymers and rubber
materials absorb liquids into solid structure,
causing material to swell.
Absorb up 70 times their own weight
Polypropylene
Polyethylene
Polyurethane
Polyester

26. Sorbents Characteristics
Rate of absorption
Rate of adsorption
Retention
Ease of application

27. Containment
Dispersion
Solidification
Vacuuming

28. Containment Maximum potential gains must
be worth the risk. Even under the
best of circumstances,
containment involves risk
  Minimal potential risks
Choose the best chance of
success with the least amount
of risk.
Plan the procedure

29. Containment Container Condition Considerations:
Are all the closures really closed?
Will the weight of the product tear a larger hole in
an already weakened container?
Can you move the container? How much does
the container weigh?
Will the lifting or moving devices cause additional
damage to the container?

30. Containment Do the simplest safest fix Upright the container
Close the valve
Can you stop the leak simply by reorienting the
breech toward vapor space?
If the container is damaged, what caused it?
Is this the correct container for the product?
Is the product eating through the container's
walls?
Has the container deteriorated?
Is there more than one hole?

31. Plugging Techniques Non-reactive wedges, cones and devices
Magnetic patches
Mechanical patches
Foam plugs
Bladder wraps
Adhesive patches

32. Wedges, Cones, Bags, Drums

33. Plug and Patch Compatibility
After compatibility
has been
determined, the
only limitation is
your imagination.
A hardware store is
a great place to
shop for plugging
and patching
equipment.

34. Plugging and Patching
Is the hole in the liner at the same location as the
leak?
Is the product leaking between the liner and the
shell?
Does the container require more than one plug or
patch?
Any repair you make must not damage the liner.
A leaking container over-packing or transfer to
another container.

35. Plugging and Patching Plugging or patching may make the breach worse.
Lower the container pressure, if possible
Choose plugging or patching compatible with the
product
Make sure the patch or plug is larger than the
opening
Think through each step of the procedure before
you begin.

36. Plug and Patch Materials
Materials for plugging and patching are almost limitless:
Is the material
compatible with the
material in the
container?
available in sufficient
quantity to do the job?

37. Plug and Patch Materials
Is more than one type
of material required?
How much time from
application until the
container can be moved?
How long will the plugging
and patching material last
once applied?

38. Conclusion
Participants were given information to provide the ability to:
Define confinement and containment
Identify the basic methods for confining spills and explain
their advantages and limitations
Identify the basic methods for confining spills of sinking,
floating, and soluble substance spills on water and explain
Participants were able to practice various procedures on
simulated leaking container, releases, and spills.
Define the purpose for and the procedures, equipment, and
safety precautions
Demonstrate the proper use of the methods listed above.