Primary containment
Containment systems for the prevention of pollution, Secondary, tertiary and other measures for industrial and commercial premises (CIRIA C736), published by CIRIA in 2014, defines primary containment as: ‘The most important means of preventing major incidents involving loss of inventory. It is achieved by the equipment that has direct contact with the inventory stored or transferred such as storage tanks, IBCs (intermediate bulk containers), drums, pipework, valves, pumps and associated management and control systems. It also includes equipment that prevents the loss of primary containment under abnormal conditions, such as high-level alarms linked to shut down systems.'
It suggests that secondary containment: ‘Minimises the consequences of a failure of the primary storage by preventing the uncontrolled spread of the inventory. Secondary containment is achieved by equipment that is external to and structurally independent of the primary storage, for example concrete or earth bunds around storage tanks, or the walls of a warehouse storing drums. Secondary containment may also provide storage capacity for firefighting and cooling water.’
And that tertiary containment: ‘Minimises the consequences of a failure in the primary and secondary containment systems. This is done by providing an additional level of protection preventing the uncontrolled spread of the inventory such as site drainage and sumps, diversion tanks and lagoons, containment kerbing to roadways and parking areas and impervious liners and/or flexible booms. Tertiary containment will be used when there is an event that causes the escape of liquids from the secondary containment through failure or overflow (eg bund joint failure, or firewater overflowing from a bund or escaping from building/warehouse during a prolonged fire).’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
Featured articles and news
OpenUSD possibilities: Look before you leap
Being ready for the OpenUSD solutions set to transform architecture and design.
Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2025
Highlighting the continuing threat to trades persons.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Now available in Arabic and Chinese aswell as English.
The context, schemes, standards, roles and relevance of the Building Safety Act.
Retrofit 25 – What's Stopping Us?
Exhibition Opens at The Building Centre.
Types of work to existing buildings
A simple circular economy wiki breakdown with further links.
A threat to the creativity that makes London special.
How can digital twins boost profitability within construction?
The smart construction dashboard, as-built data and site changes forming an accurate digital twin.
Unlocking surplus public defence land and more to speed up the delivery of housing.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill
An outline of the bill with a mix of reactions on potential impacts from IHBC, CIEEM, CIC, ACE and EIC.
Farnborough College Unveils its Half-house for Sustainable Construction Training.
Spring Statement 2025 with reactions from industry
Confirming previously announced funding, and welfare changes amid adjusted growth forecast.
Scottish Government responds to Grenfell report
As fund for unsafe cladding assessments is launched.
CLC and BSR process map for HRB approvals
One of the initial outputs of their weekly BSR meetings.
Building Safety Levy technical consultation response
Details of the planned levy now due in 2026.
Great British Energy install solar on school and NHS sites
200 schools and 200 NHS sites to get solar systems, as first project of the newly formed government initiative.
600 million for 60,000 more skilled construction workers
Announced by Treasury ahead of the Spring Statement.