My own thoughts toward improving the efficiency of cleaning
hazardous spills and/or leaking containers builds upon existing practices of
employing a neutral absorbent mixed as a substrate for jellifying hazardous liquids
while increasing the speed at which the absorption can take place.
The primary problem with existing systems for the jellification
of such liquids lies within the method by which materials are mixed.Normally, the liquid is placed within a
bucket liner and the absorbent powder is sprinkled on top gradually until all liquid
is absorbed. With time, the absorbent
takes in the liquid and jellifies. This
works well with small amounts of liquids, but is unfortunately not well suited
to handling large amounts of fluids.
When working with large amounts of liquid, the jellified mixture tends
to be less dense than the liquid, resulting in a layer of jelly on top with liquid
remaining underneath. Because of
potential hazards with such chemicals, handling the bag or stirring the mixture
is discouraged; stirring or shaking can result in harmful splashes.
Additionally, the labeling process for these containers is
necessary, but can also be confusing for those who do not often have to clean
chemical spills.
The keys to fixing these problems are:
A: Increase the surface area of the absorbent powder.
B: Introduce liquid gradually.
C: Agitate the mixture within a container which is sealed (besides
a system for venting fumes).
D: The device should be clear so that the operator can
directly observe the progress of the absorbent.
E: Provide a computerized method for identifying the
product, identifying which color bucket should be used (different colors
represent different hazards) and automatically print these materials for
labeling purposes.
By creating a system which meets these criteria, proper
handling of large volumes of liquid can be reduced from a thirty to forty-five
minute task, to a five to ten minute task.
This can all be done while reducing the possibility of chemical exposure
to employees.
Some possible pitfalls of this project are:
A: Training of employees in device operation.
B: Proper cleaning of reusable pieces to ensure dangerous
chemical mixing does not occur (i.e. bleach and ammonia).
C: Ensuring regular inspection and maintenance of related
materials.
Should the system malfunction or break down, employees must
also be trained in more conventional hazardous material cleanup procedures.
An item worth noting regarding my group is that we have each come up with our own solutions to this problem. By comparing our ideas and extracting the best approaches, we can hopefully combine the best of our ideas to construct the best solution.
