Heating Oil Leak in the Garden | What to Do!

Heating Oil Leak in the Garden | What to Do!

Having a plan in place in the event of a heating oil leak in your garden can help mitigate potential environmental damage, and save you a lot of time and money along the way. Timely action on behalf of the property owner will help to reduce the third-party property damage as well as reducing restoration costs. Below are a list of dos and don’ts to consult if you encounter a heating oil leak. Every oil spill is unique and should be treated with the utmost caution. The following is a summary of helpful actions to carry out after you have informed an environmental specialist of the leak. 

What to do if you discover a heating oil leak:

• Contact an environmental specialist immediately to address the site.
• Begin by identifying the source of the oil spill. It may be obvious, as a result of a split in your tank, or it may be more covert such as a minor leak from a valve. Oil spills are most likely to occur on the oil storage tank or from one of the related fittings.
• If possible, complete basic actions to quell the flow of the oil. This can be accomplished through placing a container beneath the flow of oil, or turning off the oil at the source. Do not attempt any action that should be carried out by an environmental specialist.
• Make a note of the amount of oil that has been lost as well as the actions you undertook to reduce the spread of the oil spill.
• Be mindful not to get oil on your body or clothes.
• If the oil spill occurs inside of a dwelling, keep the area well ventilated by opening doors and windows. Wear protective clothing in order to avoid physical contact with the oil.
• If the leak is likely to contaminate a water source, do not consume water from that source.

What not to do if you discover a heating oil leak:

• Do not ignore the situation. Oil spills do not disappear by themselves; the longer you wait to address the spill the higher the risk of serious environmental damage. 
• Do not use water or detergents to wash away the spills. This includes washing-up liquid or similar chemicals.
• Do dispose of all contaminated materials appropriately. Do not bury any soil or absorbent materials used to clean up the spill. Speak with the environmental specialist about how to properly dispose of contaminated materials.
• Do not allow the contaminated area to reach a water source, or drainage system. Similarly, do not allow contaminated materials to come into contact with an aquifer.

The safest way to clean up a domestic oil spill is to contact a professional. Major oil spills should not be addressed without the input of environmental experts. There are serious health risks associated with oil spills and as a result they should be cleaned up and disposed of carefully. Employing environmental experts to guide you through the potentially stressful process, while minimising the scale of future remedial works, will save you time and money.

Having a plan in place in the event of a heating oil leak in your garden can help mitigate potential environmental damage, and save you a lot of time and money along the way. Timely action on behalf of the property owner will help to reduce the third-party property damage as well as reducing restoration costs. Below is a list of dos and don’ts to consult if you encounter a heating oil leak. Every oil spill is unique and should be treated with the utmost caution. The following is a summary of helpful actions to carry out after you have informed an environmental specialist of the leak. 

What to do if you discover a heating oil leak in the garden:

• Contact an environmental specialist immediately to address the site.
• Begin by identifying the source of the oil spill. It may be obvious, as a result of a split in your tank, or it may be more covert such as a minor leak from a valve. Oil spills are most likely to occur on the oil storage tank or from one of the related fittings.
• If possible, complete basic actions to quell the flow of the oil. This can be accomplished through placing a container beneath the flow of oil, or turning off the oil at the source. Do not attempt any action that should be carried out by an environmental specialist.
• Make a note of the amount of oil that has been lost as well as the actions you undertook to reduce the spread of the oil spill.
• Be mindful not to get oil on your body or clothes.
• If the oil spill occurs inside of a dwelling, keep the area well ventilated by opening doors and windows. Wear protective clothing in order to avoid physical contact with the oil.
• If the leak is likely to contaminate a water source, or if the spill has travelled outside the boundaries of your property, do not consume water from that source.
• After the site has been dealt with by an environmental specialist, contact your oil providers and request that they remove the oil remaining in the tank.

What not to do if you discover a heating oil leak in the garden:

• Do not ignore the situation. Oil spills do not disappear by themselves; the longer you wait to address the spill the higher the risk of serious environmental damage. 
• Do not use water or detergents to wash away the spills. This includes washing-up liquid or similar chemicals.
• Do dispose of all contaminated materials appropriately. Do not bury any soil or absorbent materials used to clean up the spill. Speak with the environmental specialist about how to properly dispose of contaminated materials.
• Do not allow the contaminated area to reach a water source, or drainage system. Similarly do not allow contaminated materials to come into contact with an aquifer.

The safest way to clean up a domestic oil spill is to contact a licensed professional. Major oil spills should not be addressed without the input of environmental experts. There are serious health risks associated with oil spills and as a result, they should be cleaned up and disposed of carefully. Employing environmental experts to guide you through the potentially stressful process, while minimising the scale of future remedial works, will save you time and money.

Do you have any questions about contingency planning for an oil leak in the garden? If so drop us a comment below.