Hazardous chemicals are utilized across a wide spectrum of industries and are present in many workplaces. These chemicals come in various forms and can be combustibles, explosives, flammables, corrosives, solvents, or oils. Industries that typically deal with such materials include hospitals, airlines, government sectors, oil and gas industries, chemical processing and manufacturing facilities, consumer product plants, and semiconductors.
If not properly contained, hazardous chemicals present risks to personnel, facilities, and the environment as well as operations productivity. Fortunately, these risks can be minimized with proper storage and handling of chemicals in addition to swift spill response steps if an accident occurs.
Facilities that utilize hazardous materials must have a plan in place to respond to accidents. In the event of an accident, it is imperative to contain the spill and minimize the spread of the chemical. One area that needs protection is floor drains. A drain cover is a simple, cost-effective solution that seals the drain – limiting the spread of the hazardous chemical and avoiding further contamination.
Are You Choosing the Right Drain Covers for Your Industry?
There are a multitude of drain covers available including material options like clay, rubber, and urethane. So how do you know if you are choosing the right drain cover for your industry? While there are many choices available, there are key characteristics to look for in a drain cover, such as those listed below, to ensure you choose the right one. Additionally, it is important to work with a trusted partner, such as PSI Urethanes, that guides customers through the drain cover selection process to ensure you select the best product for your application.
- High Chemical Resistance: this is clearly one of the most critical aspects of a drain cover in order to effectively prevent chemicals from entering the drain. Due to its excellent chemical resistance, urethane is one of the most common materials for drain covers. Urethane is resistant to degradation from oil, solvents, hydrocarbons, and other hazardous chemicals. Click here for PSI’s chemical compatibility guide to confirm urethane drain covers are a good fit for your application.
- Strong Seal: in addition to chemical resistance, a good drain cover must properly seal the drain to avoid seepage of the chemicals down the drain. Some covers require special fastening or molding to the drain, consuming valuable time during a spill. Urethane drain covers, on the other hand, are easily deployed and their tackiness allows for a tight, positive seal of the drain. Additionally, urethane is able to create a strong seal on uneven or textured drain surfaces.
- Superb Durability: whether your drain covers are used regularly or stored for an emergency, it is important to select drain covers that are durable and able to withstand the test of time. In addition to durability, urethane is an excellent material for drain covers as it maintains its shape.
- Simple Deployment: time is of the essence during an emergency; thus, drain covers must be easily deployed and immediately create a strong seal. More specifically, the best drain covers simply need to be removed from the storage container and placed over the drain. Urethane drain covers are simple to deploy and, in most cases, are able to be cleaned and stored again for future use.
PSI’s Drain Cover Solutions
Maintain a safe workplace with the best polyurethane spill control products from PSI Urethanes, the industry leader for high-quality urethane solutions. Accidents and spills happen, but a hazardous chemical spill doesn’t have to mean disaster when you’re prepared with a spill containment or sealing product you can trust. PSI’s urethane drain protectors, urethane conical plugs, and urethane barrel patches can resist chemical degradation and maintain a seal when exposed to hazardous chemicals, long enough for the spill to be cleaned up. We offer a variety of molded polyurethane drain plugs, covers and seals, and chemical resistant drain protectors, and below is information about two of our products. Once you have the right drain cover selected, click here to learn more about storing and maintaining your drain protector.
- Original Polyurethane DrainProtectorTM: introduced in 1992 as the first positive sealing drain protector, this product immediately became the standard for the spill control and hazardous waste industry. Today, it remains the go-to spill control solution for companies around the world. When you’re looking for an expertly engineered protective cover against accidental spills for drains, grates, and manholes, look no further than the Original DrainProtector™.
- DrainProtectorTM II: this is a NEW reversible urethane drain safety seal. The pad is constructed of a solid tacky urethane product with no fillers that deliver a tough, durable seal using either side. Due to its lighter weight, this drain protector can be used quickly for emergency chemical spills.
Contact us today to see how we can help find the right drain cover for your industry, or give us a call at 1-800-888-5156.