One of the primary definitions as defined by the 'EPA Guidance Note on Storage and Transfer of Materials for Scheduled Activities' is a retaining wall surrounding a storage area "where potentially polluting substances are handled, processed or stored, for the purposes of containing any unintended escape of material from that area until such time as remedial action can be taken".
Bunding comes in a number of different forms, such as:
- Bunded Wall
- Floor Bunding
- Flexible Bunding
- Spill Bunding
No matter what the terminology - the key purpose of the bund is to contain usually toxic chemicals and ensure if a spill occurs that it is contained.
Prior to the invention of Bestbunding's flexible bunding product, most bunds were constructed of concrete. This was an expensive and difficult method of bunding an area and is not an ideal solution when vehicles need to be used to access the chemicals being stored. Bestbunding's flexible bunding overcomes these issues by allowing easy vehicle access as well as portability - in that it can be sealed to a surface and then removed at a later date.
Whilst the regulations differ from State to State, most legislation requires bunding to cover an area of at least 110% of the volume of the chemical stored.
Whilst it can be said that every chemical should be bunded, some states only require bunding where over 200L is being stored.
Bunding is used widely in areas where oil needs containment, such as workshops, washbays, power stations and transformers.