December shutdowns have a way of exposing what busy months hide. Across South Africa, November is when crews push for production targets, warehouses clear stock, fleets add extra runs and maintenance teams rush to close jobs before the year ends. Boksburg-based Afrisupply, which manufactures and supplies spill response and containment products, is urging businesses to use this window to open every spill kit they own and confirm what it actually contains. A kit that was used in winter and never restocked, or a drip tray that ended up in another bay, slips past notice in a hectic month, and nobody wants to discover the gap over the festive season.
Afrisupply wants safety officers, fleet managers, warehouse supervisors and plant engineers to approach the final weeks before the break as a spill-readiness stock take. The goal is straightforward: if a skeleton crew is running the site in December, or a tanker is out on the road during the holidays, the equipment within reach should be complete, clearly labelled and exactly where it belongs.
The year end brings its own risks
Sites operate differently as the year winds down. Seasoned employees take leave, contractors and temporary staff step in, and normal routines get compressed. Many businesses are also handling larger volumes of fuel, oil, chemicals and finished goods than at any other time of year. On top of that, Gauteng and large parts of the country are deep in the summer rainy season, so a spill in an open yard can find its way into a stormwater drain far more quickly than during the dry months.
Afrisupply notes that under South African law, including the Waste Management Act and the Hazardous Substances Act, the organisation responsible for a spill carries the full burden of cleaning it up and remediating the damage. Contamination that reaches a river can bring heavy costs, and negligence can lead to serious penalties. Keeping the correct equipment on hand and ready for use remains the most practical way to stop a minor incident from turning into a costly one.
Four questions for every kit
Each Afrisupply kit is delivered with a complete inventory and a spill response guide. The guide explains, step by step, how the kit should be used, while the inventory allows teams to check contents and reorder after an incident. The company recommends pulling out that list now, ahead of the shutdown, and running through four basic questions for every kit on site and in every vehicle.
Is everything listed on the inventory still inside the container? Pads, socks, booms and personal protective equipment are frequently borrowed for minor jobs and never put back. Does the kit match the hazard it sits beside? Oil only kits are meant for hydrocarbons, chemical and hazmat kits handle more aggressive substances, and biological, cytotoxic, mercury, glass and paint spill kits each serve their own purpose. Can the kit be spotted and identified quickly? Afrisupply labels its kits so they can be recognised at a glance in an emergency, yet labels fade over time or get hidden behind stacked stock. And finally, does whoever is on duty in December know where the kit is kept and how to use it?
Formats for fixed sites and fleets
Afrisupply’s Spill Kits are designed to contain and clean up hydrocarbons, solvents and other organic liquid spills, along with specialised hazmat substances. For fixed locations, they are supplied in wheelie bin trolleys in 80L, 130L, 240L, 660L and 1000L sizes, allowing a construction site, warehouse or manufacturing plant to size the kit to its risk and wheel it to wherever it is needed. Where storage space is tight, the company makes tough, rip proof PVC carry bags that fit inside a truck or tanker cab or hang on a wall mounted hook.
The vehicle option becomes especially relevant during the holidays. Operators that keep trucks moving through December often have drivers on routes they do not know well, and a kit in the cab is the first response if a load starts leaking or a fuel line gives way. Both the wheelie kits and the truck and tanker kits hold the absorbents, containment products and standard PPE required to handle a spill properly.
Catching leaks while the site is quiet
Once a plant shuts for the holidays, machinery, generators and drums can stand untouched for weeks. A slow leak that someone would spot on an ordinary shift may go unnoticed until the team comes back. Afrisupply’s polyethylene Drip Trays are built for precisely this scenario. Solid trays are available in small (75cm x 45cm x 10cm), medium (100cm x 60cm x 10cm) and large (100cm x 100cm x 10cm) sizes, with mesh drip trays offered in the same footprints. Sliding a tray beneath parked equipment, a drum stand or a refuelling point before shutdown is an inexpensive way to keep drips off the floor and away from drains.
Where larger volumes are involved, Afrisupply also provides spill decks and PVC containment products, and can tailor containment solutions to suit a specific site layout.
Looking after staff on shift
Being ready for a spill also means protecting the people dealing with it. Anyone working with chemicals needs clean water within immediate reach if a splash hits the eyes. Afrisupply offers a selection of Eye Wash Stations, ranging from double bottle eyewash kits supplied with brackets and saline solution to wall mountable units and free standing emergency stations that work by hand, by foot or both. Bottled units need their contents inspected and replaced, while fixed units must stay clear and easy to locate. The run-up to the break is a good time to confirm both.
Beyond this, the company’s catalogue includes emergency showers, first aid kits, absorbents, contained absorbents, degreaser, roadside safety items and speciality kits, meaning one order can fill several gaps uncovered during the check.
Tailored kits and reseller options
Afrisupply supplies the South African market as well as customers elsewhere in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Since it manufactures its own PVC products and assembles its kits in house, it can build spill kits around the needs of a particular industry or site. Companies that sell safety products are also welcome to apply as Afrisupply resellers. Teams wanting a refresher before the holidays can watch the product demonstration videos and spill kit training videos available on the company’s website.
Close out the year prepared
Afrisupply’s November advice comes down to a few practical steps. Open each kit, count the contents, restock anything missing, place trays under equipment that could drip and make sure December’s duty staff know where everything is kept. A brief check today can prevent a lengthy clean up in January. To request a quote, make a reseller enquiry or view the complete range, visit https://www.afrisupply.co.za/.
About Afrisupply
Afrisupply manufactures and supplies spill kits, absorbents, drip trays and hazmat spill containment products from its base at Unit B, 222 14th Avenue, Anderbolt, Boksburg, South Africa. The range covers oil only, chemical, universal, biological and other specialised spill kits in wheelie bin and PVC bag formats, along with polyethylene and mesh drip trays, spill decks, eye wash stations, emergency showers, first aid kits and customised PVC products. Afrisupply works with clients in South Africa and in other parts of Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Media Contact
Afrisupply
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +27 11 914 5219
Website: https://www.afrisupply.co.za/
