EMERGENCY OIL SPILL & EXTREME CLEANING
Corus Steel Works (Tata Steel) - Llanwern, Newport, South Wales, NP19
Client's Challenge
Corus Steel Works experienced a critical failure within a heavy oil pumping system, resulting in hundreds of gallons of oil being released into basement cellar areas beneath active steel production zones.
The oil contamination spread across:
• Cellar floors
• Walls and ceilings
• Machinery and plant
• Cable trays and pipework
The incident presented an immediate and serious risk due to:
• Oil migrating toward drainage systems
• Proximity to red-hot scale debris from furnace mills
• Elevated fire and environmental risk
• Potential for extended production shutdown
Corus required an immediate emergency response to stop the spread of oil, safely collect and dispose of contamination, and fully clean all affected areas without introducing further risk to personnel, plant or operations.
Assessment & Planning
APT ICC attended site immediately and carried out an emergency
assessment in coordination with Corus fire, safety and engineering teams.
The assessment focused on:
• Immediate containment to prevent further oil migration
• Identifying contamination pathways and affected zones
• Assessing fire, ignition and environmental risk
• Selecting suitable degreasers for heavy oil contamination
• Sequencing cleaning works area by area, top-down to avoid recontamination
• Planning safe collection and disposal of oil waste
• Eliminating residual oil odour following physical clean-up
A structured emergency clean-up plan was implemented to stabilise the site quickly and allow controlled progression through all contaminated areas.
Methodology
The emergency response and clean-up were delivered using a controlled,
phased approach:
1. Immediate spill containment
The spread of oil was stopped at source and controlled to prevent further migration through cellar areas and toward drainage systems.
2. Oil collection and safe disposal
Free oil was collected, contained and removed from site. All waste was handled and disposed of safely in line with site and environmental requirements.
3. Progressive degreasing and cleaning (top-down)
Cleaning was completed methodically, working from high-level surfaces downwards to prevent recontamination.
Walls, ceilings, machinery, pipework and cable trays were degreased and cleaned area by area.
4. Floor cleaning and final contamination removal
Once upper surfaces were fully cleaned, cellar floors were degreased and washed down to remove remaining oil deposits.
5. Odour neutralisation
Following completion of all physical cleaning, deodorisation treatment was applied to eliminate lingering oil residue smells and restore a safe working environment.
Site Access & Logistics
Equipment
• Industrial oil spill collection and cleaning equipment
• Manual and mechanical cleaning tools suitable for confined industrial spaces
Chemicals
• Ultramax 2020 – heavy-duty
industrial degreaser
• CitraCleanse – citrus-based
degreaser for oil contamination
• Aximax - multi-surface industrial cleaner and degreaser
• Dekon 50 – deodoriser used post-cleaning to neutralise oil residue odours
The Results
• Oil spread successfully stopped and fully controlled
• All spilled oil collected and disposed of safely
• Oil deposits removed from machinery, walls, ceilings and floors
• Cellar areas cleaned progressively without recontamination
• Persistent oil odours eliminated
• Site stabilised and returned to a safe operating condition
The rapid response and structured methodology prevented escalation of the incident, reduced fire and environmental risk, and allowed Corus to stabilise operations without prolonged disruption.
