Education
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What Is Oil Spill Training?

Lori Kilchermann
Lori Kilchermann

There are several components to oil spill training, from containment and recovery to cleanup. Understanding prevailing winds and current flow are two of the most important factors in containing an oil spill. Weather patterns and tides are both areas that are covered in oil spill training and understanding these two components can often aid in preventing the oil from spreading. Cleanup is one of the most time-consuming aspects of oil spill training due to the many types of cleanup that stem from such an event, encompassing plant, animal and water life.

Oil spills impact nearly every type of natural occurrence and life form in a spill area. Understanding how to minimize the damage imparted is the main objective of oil spill training. Time is of the essence when an oil spill occurs and having properly trained people on the ground in a spill area is a great advantage. In any body of water, there is a current. The ways of using a current to the cleanup team's advantage are covered in oil spill training. Oil barricades are placed in such a manner that the current directs any oil into them and makes it easier to remove and capture.

Oil booms being used to contain an oil spill.
Oil booms being used to contain an oil spill.

There are several different methods of placing oil barriers, with each method having a positive reaction to some set of criteria. The governing bodies of any spill area will commonly mandate the method used to collect the spilled oil. Actions learned through oil spill training typically use all of the natural, oil-gathering forces to the advantage of the collection team. These include using wind and water current to gather and drive the spilled oil. With the spread of the oil contained, the cleanup of the wildlife and the land surrounding the spill are typically put into action next.

Oil floating on water.
Oil floating on water.

While the spilled oil must be cleaned from the land and water as soon as possible, removal of oil from wildlife is often most urgent. There are many ways demonstrated in oil spill training to clean the heavy crude oil from animals and birds, however, none is more effective than simply washing the oil from the animals with a gentle, oil-fighting detergent and rinsing them with clear water. Of primary importance is the treatment of the animals' eyes and any ingested oil that can poison and potentially kill the animal. When cleaning the land and waterways, removing the oil from food sources, such as clams and freshwater mussels, is a critical component of oil spill training to prevent poisoning those animals who eat them.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Oil booms being used to contain an oil spill.
      By: Pshaw-Photo
      Oil booms being used to contain an oil spill.
    • Oil floating on water.
      By: Focusedone
      Oil floating on water.
    • A drill rig is used to drill for oil. Oil can be spilled both on land and in the ocean.
      By: lightmoon
      A drill rig is used to drill for oil. Oil can be spilled both on land and in the ocean.
    • Crude oil spills are the most destructive environmental disasters.
      By: jamenpercy
      Crude oil spills are the most destructive environmental disasters.