If you are ever unlucky enough to encounter or even cause a Oil spill at your place of work or in the garage there are a few things you can do to help clear up the mess.

In the past throwing a handful of granules (similar to cat litter) or even sand on the spill was seen as a good way to solve the problem. The fact is these granules gets into your machines and parts causing damage. It also contaminates coolant and oils. It proves to be very labour intensive requiring a lot of sweeping and shovelling, it also sticks to shoes and spreads all over your clean site and can also be a slip hazard and make the place look generally dirty.

There had to be a better, cleaner, cheaper and more efficient way of dealing with these leaks and spills. The answer was Oil absorbent pads, socks and mats first designed around 1985.

One of the first absorbent socks ever designed was a basic prototype of a pair of tights filled with tiny bits of rag inside. These flexible socks were then placed around the base of the leaking machinery to absorb the oil as it came out and to stop it from spreading over the floor and work area. These days the socks are made from a more technical material of Polyester spunbonded fabric, filled with Cellulose, viscose & polyester fibre.

A natural follow on from the absorbent sock was the absorbent pad. In it’s most basic form the absorbent pad is a square pad usually 40cm x 50cm of Melt Blown Polypropylene fibre. There is usually a spunbond layer top and bottom with the Melt Blown Polypropylene absorbent fibre in the centre. The absorbent roll is the same material and design as a absorbent pad but comes on a perforated roll. Pictures of the sock, pads and rolls can be seen here: http://www.censol.co.uk/absorbents.html

The advantages of the absorbent socks, pads and rolls over
granules are:

• Quickly absorbs oil, water, coolants and solvents
• Floor gripping fibres hold mat in place to help reduce slips and falls
• Dark colours hide grime, so your site looks cleaner longer
• Multiple bonded layers add strength
• Perforations on the pads and rolls let you use only what you need to reduce waste
• Can be incinerated to reduce waste
• Use them anywhere you want to soak up leaks or drips
• Flexible and versatile, a sock fits round machines and in tight spaces
• Each pad can absorb up to 1 litre of fluid
• Each sock can absorb up to 3 litres of fluid

One initiative created by Censol Ltd is the Absorbent Station. Most people admit that oil absorbent socks, pads and rolls are a great idea but if you can’t find them or they are not to hand when there is a spill they ultimately can’t do the job there designed to do.

One way round this is the Absorbent Station. The basic principle of the Absorbent Station is simple:

All your absorbents
In the right place
At the right time
All of the time.

The Absorbent Stations are fully customizable for your needs and can fit a mixture of pads, socks, rolls and even non woven wiper rolls. Pictures of a Absorbent Station can be seen here: http://www.censol.co.uk/absorbents.html

If you require any further information or prices on our Oil Absorbents and Absorbent Stations please see our website: http://www.censol.co.uk or contact us on (0115) 972 7070