Most pollution incidents are not dramatic. A drum weeps onto a yard, rain washes it to a surface water drain, and the first anyone knows is a sheen on the burn downstream. The defences that stop this are cheap and simple: a stocked spill kit, an intact bund, a serviced interceptor, a labelled drain. The routine inspection that confirms they are all present and working is the whole game. So the question is whether your inspection record actually proves the defences were ready, or just says they were.
Guide · Environmental
Spill kit and pollution prevention inspection reports for the UK.
A practical guide to inspecting spill kits, oil storage, bunding and drainage interceptors on site, from the oil storage rules to pollution prevention good practice, with a WhatsApp workflow your officers already know.
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The point
A spill kit only works if it is there.
Half-empty, locked away, or last checked a year ago is the same as not having one when oil hits the drain. A pollution prevention inspection confirms the defences are present and ready. Software does not stop the spill. The kit, the bund and a trained team do. The tool records that they are ready.
What a pollution prevention inspection covers
The defences you check.
Spill kits
Present and stocked
Absorbents, booms and drain covers in date and in place, kit contents complete, accessible and near the risk, not locked in a distant store.
Oil storageTanks and bunding
Oil stores with intact secondary containment under the oil storage rules, bund capacity, sight of leaks, valves and fill points checked and photographed.
DrainageInterceptors and outfalls
Foul and surface water drains identified, interceptors serviced, penstocks and shut-off valves in working order, outfalls clear.
Why it matters
A pollution incident is enforcement territory.
Oil or chemicals reaching a watercourse can trigger action by the Environment Agency, SEPA or Natural Resources Wales, cleanup costs and prosecution. The routine inspection that catches a failing bund or an empty spill kit is far cheaper than the incident it prevents. The evidence trail also proves you took reasonable steps.
Run spill inspections on WhatsApp
No app install. No training.
Officers use the phone they already have. Text, voice note or photo. The report generates itself. Setup to first live workflow usually takes under a week.
The short version
- A pollution prevention inspection checks that spill kits, oil storage containment, bunding and drainage interceptors are present, stocked and working.
- Oil storage above certain volumes needs secondary containment such as a bund under the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001, with similar rules elsewhere in the UK.
- Knowing which drains are foul and which are surface water, and keeping the surface water ones clean, is the core of pollution prevention.
- A pollution incident is enforcement territory for the Environment Agency, SEPA or NRW; the routine inspection is far cheaper than the incident.
- Software does not stop a spill. The kit, the bund and a trained team do. The tool records that they are ready and holds the evidence trail.
Spill kits
Present, stocked and reachable
A spill kit is only a control if it is where the risk is, full, and reachable in seconds. The inspection checks the kit contents against its inventory: absorbent pads and rolls, booms or socks, drain covers or mats, and disposal bags, all in date and undamaged. It checks the kit is sited near the fuel store, the loading bay or the plant, not locked in a distant cupboard, and that staff know where it is and how to use it.
Quickler records the kit state, a photo of the contents, and any restocking needed, at the point of inspection. It does not restock the kit or train the team; it flags what is missing so the office acts. A used kit that was never replaced is exactly the failure a routine inspection is meant to catch.
Oil storage
Tanks, bunding and the oil storage rules
Oil storage above certain thresholds must have secondary containment, typically a bund holding at least 110 percent of the tank, under the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001. Scotland and Northern Ireland have equivalent rules, and Wales follows the England regime for most purposes. The inspection checks the bund is intact and empty of rainwater and product, that fill points and valves are within the containment, sight gauges and pipework are sound, and there is no staining or weeping.
Quickler captures each of these against the store, with photos of any defect. It is not an integrity test of the bund and does not certify the installation; it records the visual inspection and flags anything needing a specialist. Check the current oil storage rules for your nation, as thresholds and details vary and change.
Drainage
Interceptors, drains and outfalls
The difference between a contained spill and a pollution incident is usually the drain it reaches. Foul drains go to treatment; surface water drains often go straight to a watercourse. A pollution prevention inspection confirms drains are identified and colour-marked, that oil interceptors and separators are serviced and not full, that penstocks or shut-off valves work, and that surface water outfalls are clear.
Quickler logs the state of each drainage asset and any blockage or overdue service, with a photo, so the drainage plan stays live rather than a drawing nobody has seen in years. It does not service the interceptor; it makes the overdue one visible before it overflows.
Pricing
Per report, not per seat
Most audit apps charge per seat. For a firm inspecting spill defences across many sites that is the wrong shape: the environmental manager who reads one report a month pays the same as the officer who files four a week, and every subcontractor you add costs more.
Quickler charges per report, with unlimited users on every bundle. Bundles run from Quickler 50 at 50 pounds a month for 50 reports, up to Quickler 500 at 500 pounds a month for 500 reports. Add as many officers, subcontractors, managers and admins as you like; you pay for the reports you file, not the people who could file them. Pricing is approximate and shifts, so check the current pricing page before you commit.
Questions, answered
What is a pollution prevention inspection?
It is a routine check that a site's pollution defences are present and working: spill kits stocked and reachable, oil storage containment intact, bunding sound, and drainage interceptors serviced with clean surface water outfalls. It produces a dated report with photo evidence that the controls were ready.
What are the rules on oil storage and bunding in the UK?
Oil storage above certain thresholds must have secondary containment, typically a bund holding at least 110 percent of the tank, under the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001, with equivalent rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Thresholds and details vary by nation and change over time, so check the current rules for your site. This is not legal advice.
Why do spill kit inspections matter?
A spill kit only works if it is present, stocked and reachable when a spill happens. A used or half-empty kit is the same as no kit. A routine inspection catches the missing contents before an incident, and the dated report shows you took reasonable steps to prevent pollution.
Can I run spill and pollution inspections over WhatsApp?
Yes. Quickler's workflow runs over the WhatsApp Business API. The officer receives each check in their existing WhatsApp chat, replies with text, a voice note or a photo, and the completed report generates automatically. No separate app or login is required, and Quickler manages the WhatsApp Business API account on the firm's behalf.