Division BAT 5 In order to prevent or reduce fugitive VOC emissions during storage and handling of solvent-containing materials and/or hazardous materials, BAT is to apply the principles of good housekeeping by using all of the techniques given below.

United Kingdom

Technique		Description	Applicability
Management techniques
(a)	Preparation and implementation of a plan for the prevention and control of leaks and spillages	A plan for the prevention and control of leaks and spillages is part of the EMS (see BAT 1) and includes, but is not limited to: site incident plans for small and large spillages; identification of the roles and responsibilities of persons involved; ensuring staff are environmentally aware and trained to prevent/deal with spillage incidents; identification of areas at risk of spillage and/or leaks of hazardous materials and ranking them according to the risk; in identified areas, ensuring suitable containment systems are in place, e.g. impervious floors; identification of suitable spillage containment and clean-up equipment and regularly ensuring it is available, in good working order and close to points where these incidents may occur; waste management guidelines for dealing with waste arising from spillage control; regular (at least once every year) inspections of storage and operational areas, testing and calibration of leak detection equipment and prompt repair of leaks from valves, glands, flanges, etc. (see BAT 13).	Generally applicable. The scope (e.g. level of detail) of the plan will generally be related to the nature, scale and complexity of the installation, as well as to the type and quantity of materials used.
Storage techniques
(b)	Sealing or covering of containers and bunded storage area	Storage of solvents, hazardous materials, waste solvents and waste cleaning materials in sealed or covered containers, suitable for the associated risk and designed to minimise emissions. The containers’ storage area is bunded and of adequate capacity.	Generally applicable.
(c)	Minimisation of storage of hazardous materials in production areas	Hazardous materials are present in production areas only in amounts that are necessary for production; larger quantities are stored separately.	Generally applicable.
Techniques for pumping and handling liquids
(d)	Techniques to prevent leaks and spillages during pumping	Leaks and spillages are prevented by using pumps and seals suitable for the material handled and which ensure proper tightness. This includes equipment such as canned motor pumps, magnetically coupled pumps, pumps with multiple mechanical seals and a quench or buffer system, pumps with multiple mechanical seals and seals dry to atmosphere, diaphragm pumps or bellow pumps.	Generally applicable.
(e)	Techniques to prevent overflows during pumping	This includes ensuring for example that: the pumping operation is supervised; for larger quantities, bulk storage tanks are fitted with acoustic and/or optical high-level alarms, with shut-off systems if necessary.	Generally applicable.
(f)	Capture of VOC vapour during solvent-containing material delivery	When delivering solvent-containing materials in bulk (e.g. loading or unloading of tanks), the vapour displaced from receiving tanks is captured, usually by back-venting.	May not be applicable for solvents with low vapour pressure or due to cost considerations.
(g)	Containment for spills and/or rapid take-up when handling solvent-containing materials	When handling solvent-containing materials in containers, possible spills are avoided by providing containment, e.g. by using trolleys, pallets and/or stillages with built-in containment (e.g. ‘catch pans’) and/or rapid take-up by using absorbent materials.	Generally applicable.