Bunded Pallets

What a Bunded Pallet Does and When You Need One

The sump does one job: hold the contents of a failed container long enough for someone to notice and respond. The forklift pockets, removable grate and yellow body exist to make that job practical on a working site.

You need one wherever a container of polluting liquid sits on an unbunded floor, which covers most decanting areas, workshop corners, generator compounds and laydown yards. The triggers are predictable: an audit is booked, a principal contractor asks how liquids are stored, or the wet season is approaching and the yard drains to a creek.

Our Range of Two Drum, Four Drum and IBC Bunded Pallets

Our range covers the storage arrangements found on Australian sites, from two 200 litre drums in a workshop to twin IBCs in a chemical store.

• MAXBund 2 Drum Bunded Pallet for a compact two drum footprint
• SpilMax Spill Pallets for Drums and IBCs in multiple variants
• Ultra-Drum Spill Pallets and Ultra-Drum Spill Pallet Plus for drums
• Ultra-Hard Top Drum Plus Spill Pallet for covered drum storage
• Ultra-IBC Single Spill Pallet, Spill Pallet Plus, Spill Pallet Twin and Hard Top for IBCs
• Ultra-IBC Spill Pallet Plus Bucket Shelf for decanting

All of our bunded pallets are nestable, so they stack down for storage and freight, which cuts the storage footprint and lowers return shipping costs.

Sump Capacity, Load Ratings and Dimensions

Load rating is the first number to check, because a full 200 litre drum of oil weighs well over 200 kg with the drum.

Sump capacity is the second number, set by the 110 per cent rule rather than by how many containers sit on top. A four drum bund holding four 200 litre drums must contain 220 litres, not 880, and an IBC bund is sized against the 1,000 litre IBC at 1,100 litres.

Bund Covers, Frames, Drain Plugs and Accessories

Accessories turn a bare bund into a workable storage station, and hard tops matter more than most sites expect, because a sump full of rainwater has no capacity left for a spill.

• Spill pallet covers and hard tops to shed rain and sun
• Bucket shelves for decanting without leaving the bund
• Removable fibreglass grates for cleaning and inspection
• Drum funnels for controlled filling
• Bund accessories including drain fittings

Where a unit has a drain plug or valve, keep it closed and the key controlled. An open drain plug turns a compliant bund into a tray, and it is one of the faster findings an auditor will write up.

Bunded Pallets for Workshops, Yards and Chemical Stores

• Workshops and sheds: oils, coolants and waste oil drums on a floor that drains
• Civil and construction laydowns: diesel and hydraulic oil in the open near a sediment control line
• Mining: bulk lubricants and reagents where resupply takes weeks
• Transport depots: AdBlue, oils and cleaning chemicals near docks
• Utilities and water treatment: dosing chemicals in IBCs in a chemical store
• Local government depots: mixed paints, herbicides and fuels

The bund does the same job in each setting, but the exposure differs: indoors the risk is the floor drain, outdoors it is rainfall filling the sump.

Indoor Storage Compared With Outdoor and Weather Exposed

Indoors, an open top bunded pallet is usually right. There is no rainfall to manage, staff need quick access for decanting, and the removable grate makes cleaning straightforward. Keep the unit clear of racking and forklift routes so it can be inspected.

Outdoors the calculation changes. An uncovered sump collects rain, and standing water both consumes the capacity you are relying on and becomes contaminated waste in its own right. A hard top or covered spill pallet keeps the sump dry, protects drums from UV and keeps labels readable.

Polyethylene Built to Handle Australian Conditions

Our bunded pallets are moulded from LLDPE, a linear low density polyethylene chosen for chemical resistance and impact strength. It will not corrode the way steel does in a wash bay, and it tolerates the swing between a Pilbara summer and a frosty Southern Highlands morning.

LLDPE is recyclable and takes less energy to manufacture than many alternative polymers, which is worth having on hand when procurement asks about the environmental profile. The moulded body is bright yellow for visibility, with no seams to fail at the corner of the sump, and removable fibreglass grates carry the drums while keeping the sump clear.

Meeting AS 1940 and the 110 Per Cent Capacity Rule

AS 1940-2017 governs the storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids and AS 3780 covers corrosive substances. The WHS Regulations 2011 require a PCBU to manage hazardous chemical risks, which includes containing leaks from storage.

The rule in practice. A bund must hold at least 110 per cent of the largest single container in it, so identify that container rather than the total volume stored:

Your environment protection licence or principal contractor plan may impose a higher figure, so size to whichever is larger.

Easy Forklift Access, Decanting and Sump Cleaning

Bunded pallets are made to be handled, not just installed. Forklift pockets let a loaded unit be relocated when the yard layout changes, and an empty unit be moved to a wash area.

Decanting is the moment most spills happen, so set the station up for it. A bucket shelf lets an operator draw off into a smaller container while staying over the bund, and a drum funnel keeps filling controlled. Keep a spill kit within reach. Sump cleaning is simple: lift the grate, remove any liquid, inspect the sump floor and corners, then record that you did.

RelatedSpill Kits →

Sizing a Bund for the Drums and IBCs You Store

Work through it in order and the specification writes itself.

1. 1List the containers. Type, volume and filled weight, by location.
2. 2Find the largest single container. That sets minimum sump capacity at 110 per cent of its volume.
3. 3Add up the filled weight. It must sit within the safe working load: 500 kg for two drums, 1,000 kg for four, 1,650 kg for a single IBC, 3,200 kg for a twin.
4. 4Decide indoor or outdoor. Weather exposed storage points to a covered unit.
5. 5Add the handling gear. Bucket shelf, drum funnel and a spill kit.

FAQs