What this is
What is a containment inspection?
What is a containment inspection?
A routine physical check of secondary containment, bunds, drip trays, kerbed areas, interceptors and portable containment, to confirm each structure is structurally sound and has spare capacity available. It runs on a fixed monthly cycle and does not depend on a spill, a drill or any other triggering event.
Who should carry it out?
The area owner: someone who knows what substance the structure protects and what its normal condition looks like, rather than a generic inspector working from the checklist alone. Familiarity with the asset is what catches a slow change, a new stain, a slightly slower drain, that a stranger would miss.
How is this different from a spill drill?
A spill drill, such as the Environmental Spill Drill Record, tests a simulated response and the people carrying it out. This inspection tests the physical structure itself, whether the bund still holds its capacity and its seals are intact, independent of whether anyone has ever rehearsed responding to a spill in it.
Scope
When is a containment inspection required?
This inspection checks the physical fabric and available capacity of secondary containment. Using it to record an actual spill, a rehearsed response, or the standing plan itself produces evidence that answers a different question later.
Use this template when
- The monthly inspection cycle for this site's bunds, drip trays and interceptors is due
- A containment structure has been added, moved or modified and needs its first inspection
- Heavy rainfall or a period of inactivity means accumulated water needs checking before it can be drained
- A previous inspection raised a finding, such as an unlocked valve or reduced capacity, that needs re-checking
- A linked asset or drain register entry needs this inspection to exist against it
Do not use it for
- Spill Report, which records an actual release of chemical, fuel, oil or wastewater
- Spill Response Record, which documents what was done to contain, clean up and dispose of a real spill
- Environmental Spill Drill Record, which tests the response plan and people through a simulated exercise, not the structure itself
- Spill Prevention Plan, the standing written plan this inspection provides ongoing evidence for
- Anything outside KnowEnviro, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which EPA SPCC requirements does this satisfy?
The EPA SPCC rule is prescriptive about what secondary containment must achieve and comparatively open about how the inspection is documented, which is why the record's value rests on whether it actually checked capacity as well as condition.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.7(e) | Inspections and tests conducted in accordance with written procedures, with records kept and retained | Header |
| EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.8(c)(2) | Secondary containment sufficiently impervious to contain discharged oil, structurally sound and maintained | Containment structures |
| EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.8(c)(2) | Containment sized to hold the capacity of the largest container plus freeboard for precipitation | Containment structures |
| EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.7(e) | Valves and piping associated with containment inspected for integrity as part of routine testing | Containment structures |
| EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.8(c)(3) | Accumulated rainwater in diked areas inspected for the presence of oil before release, with the release recorded | Rainwater management |
| EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.7(e) | Records of inspections and tests retained for a minimum of three years | Result |
| EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.7(a)(3) | Procedures in place for promptly addressing a discovered discharge or containment failure | Result |
What it does not cover
- Spill Report, which records an actual release of chemical, fuel, oil or wastewater, not the condition of the structure that failed to hold it.
- Spill Response Record, which documents what was done to contain, clean up and dispose of a spill once one has happened.
- Environmental Spill Drill Record, which tests the response plan and people through a simulated exercise, independent of whether the physical containment is intact.
- Spill Prevention Plan, the standing plan this inspection provides ongoing evidence for, not a substitute for keeping the plan itself current.
- Work order or asset maintenance record, which carries out the repair this inspection can only identify and flag.
Global
Containment Inspection requirements by country
Almost every jurisdiction that regulates oil or chemical storage expects secondary containment to be maintained, not just installed. What differs is how directly the inspection record itself is named as the evidence.
EPA SPCC Rule, 40 CFR part 112
Facilities storing oil above threshold quantities must inspect containment regularly against written procedures and retain the records.
An SPCC inspection programme without a records trail is functionally unauditable under the rule's own inspection provision, regardless of the containment's actual condition.
Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations, and equivalent instruments across the home nations
Oil storage above threshold volumes must have secondary containment of at least 110 percent of the largest container, and it must be kept in that condition.
The regulation fixes the containment requirement at installation; this record is the ongoing evidence it's still being met, not just that it was built that way once.
ISO 14001:2015 cl.8.2 and cl.9.1.1
Certification requires operational controls for significant environmental aspects to be monitored and maintained, not only designed.
An auditor treats a containment structure without a current inspection record as an aspect that's gone unmonitored, regardless of how sound it looks on the day of the visit.
How to complete it
How to complete a containment inspection, step by step
Most sites complete the structural questions on this form without much prompting. The questions that determine whether the containment would actually work are the ones easiest to skip in a hurry.
A structurally sound bund holding rainwater has no spare capacity left. Empty Of Rainwater and Capacity Still Adequate are as load-bearing as Structurally Sound, and an inspection completed only against the condition fields misses the failure mode that actually causes an escape.
Bund water has to be inspected for sheen or discolouration before it's released, and the release itself has to be authorised. Water Inspected Before Discharge and Discharge Authorised exist because opening a valve to let rain out without checking first is exactly how a contained spill becomes a reported one.
Valves Closed And Locked distinguishes the two because an unlocked valve can be opened by mistake, by a contractor who used it once and never reset it, or by someone unaware of its purpose. This is one of the most common causes of an otherwise-successful containment escaping.
Percent-with-knockout scoring exists so one seriously compromised structure isn't smoothed over by several sound ones on the same visit. A Result of Fail on a single structure needs its own action and its own priority, not just a lower overall percentage.
What auditors find
Most common containment inspection findings
Containment findings cluster around the gap between the concrete being fine and the structure actually doing its job on the day it's needed.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Bund or drip tray found full of accumulated rainwater, leaving no spare capacity. | EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.8(c)(3) | Drain rainwater on a routine schedule after checking it for sheen, and record the discharge. |
| Drain valve on a bund found open or unlocked between inspections. | EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.7(e) | Lock valves closed by default and log every occasion one is opened for drainage. |
| Structural cracks or coating failure identified but no work order raised. | EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.7(a)(3) | Raise the CAPA and work order at the point of finding, not at the next scheduled inspection. |
| Rainwater discharged from a bund without being inspected or authorised first. | EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.8(c)(3) | Require the inspection and authorisation fields to be completed before a discharge is recorded as done. |
| Inspection completed against structures that no longer match the asset register. | EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.7(e) | Reconcile the containment structure list against the asset and drain registers before each inspection cycle. |
| A structure scored Fail but the site's overall percentage still reads as a pass. | EPA SPCC 40 CFR 112.7(a)(3) | Treat a Fail result on any single structure as a standalone action regardless of the aggregate score. |
Case in point
Case in point: the bund that passed on paper every month
A cold store's diesel generator bund was inspected monthly for eleven months running: structurally sound, coating intact, no cracks, each time scored a clean pass. The drain valve, however, had been left unlocked since a contractor used it during an installation, and nobody had reset it.
A refuelling error released around forty litres into the bund, which briefly held it, until someone unfamiliar with the valve's purpose opened it to 'let the rain out', and most of the diesel reached the yard drain. Eleven passing inspections had checked the concrete every time and never once checked whether the valve could be opened by mistake.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
4 sections
- Reference
- ENV-005
- Archetype
- Inspection
- Record ID
- INSP-2026-000
- Scoring
- Percent with knockout items
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- EPA SPCC
- Links
- Links Site, Asset
- Tags
- Environment, Inspection
- Sections
- 4
- Fields
- 39
- Follow up fields
- 5
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 3
Header
8 fieldsInspection ID*
Auto sequence. Format INSP-2026-00000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Area
The area within the site.
Exact Location
Drop a pin for anything hard to find.
Containment structures
Repeats14 fieldsStructure Reference*
Type*
Bund, drip tray, kerbed area, interceptor, sump or portable containment.
Serves Which Substance*
Structurally Sound*
- Yes3 pts
- Minor defects1 pt
- No0 pts
No Cracks Or Penetrations*
- Confirmed3 pts
- Minor1 pt
- Significant0 pts
Coating Intact*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Empty Of Rainwater*
A bund full of rainwater has no capacity left for the spill it exists to catch.
- Yes3 pts
- Partly full1 pt
- Full0 pts
Free Of Debris*
- Yes3 pts
- Some1 pt
- No0 pts
Capacity Still Adequate*
- Yes3 pts
- Reduced1 pt
- No0 pts
Valves Closed And Locked*
Bund drain valves left open are one of the most common causes of a contained spill escaping.
- Yes3 pts
- Closed not locked1 pt
- Open0 pts
Pipework Through Bund Sealed*
- Yes3 pts
- Not applicable3 pts
- No0 pts
Result*
- Pass3 pts
- Pass with conditions2 pts
- Fail0 pts
Photo
Work Order ID
Links to MNT-002 Work Order ID
Rainwater management
3 fieldsAccumulated Water Present*
- No3 pts
- Yes1 pt
Water Inspected Before Discharge
Look and smell before releasing. Discharging contaminated bund water is a permit breach.
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Discharge Authorised
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Result
14 fieldsItems Assessed*
Excludes anything marked N/A.
Items Failed*
Score Percent*
Calculated on submission. High is good. N/A items leave the denominator.
Result Band*
- Pass3 pts
- Caution1 pt
- Fail0 pts
Completeness Percent*
How much of the template was actually answered. A high score on a half completed form is not a high score.
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Next Inspection Due*
Inspector*
Signature*
Environmental Lead*
Second Signature*
ENV-005 · record IDs look like INSP-2026-000 · Links Site, Asset
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The inspection itself is quick to run once the structures are on a register. What slips is the follow-through: the unlocked valve nobody resets, the rainwater discharge nobody logs, and the work order that never gets raised from a finding.
Holds the containment structure register against the site's assets and drains, and flags a structure that's overdue or missing from the monthly cycle.
Watches for a Fail result or an unlocked valve finding and confirms a corrective action was actually raised, rather than only recorded.
Turns a structural finding, a crack, a coating failure, a reduced capacity, into a work order against the asset rather than leaving it as a note on the inspection.
Tracks the inspection cadence and rainwater discharge records against the permit conditions and SPCC obligations they're evidencing.
This template lives in KnowEnviro — environment and energy. Aspects, permits, waste, emissions, spills and sustainability reporting.
Meet KnowEnviro→Glossary
Containment Inspection definitions and key terms
- Bund
- A low containment wall or raised area around a tank or drum store, built to hold the volume of a leak or spill before it reaches drains or ground.
- Secondary containment
- Any structure, such as a bund, drip tray or kerbed area, that holds a release separately from the primary vessel that failed.
- Interceptor
- A chamber that separates oil or fuel from water before discharge, checked here for capacity and condition alongside bunds.
- Freeboard
- Spare capacity in a containment structure held in reserve for precipitation, over and above the volume of the tank or drum it protects.
- Knockout item
- A scored field whose failing answer caps or dominates the result for that structure, rather than simply reducing an average across many questions.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about containment inspection
What's the difference between this and a spill drill?+
This inspection checks the physical structure: whether a bund is sound and has spare capacity, run on a fixed monthly cycle regardless of any event. The Environmental Spill Drill Record instead runs a simulated spill scenario to test whether the response plan and the people work, and it doesn't check the structure's physical condition at all.
Why check the water level as well as the condition?+
Full containment is no containment. A bund can be structurally perfect and still hold no spare capacity if it's sitting full of rainwater, which is the exact situation this inspection exists to catch before a spill finds it.
Can bund water just be pumped out when it rains?+
No. It has to be inspected first for sheen or contamination, and the discharge has to be authorised and recorded. Draining without checking is how a contained spill turns into a reported discharge.
What does 'knockout item' mean in the scoring?+
It means a failing answer on certain fields, such as an overall Result of Fail, caps or dominates the score for that structure rather than being averaged away by several passing answers elsewhere on the same form.
How often should containment be inspected?+
Monthly under this template, and again whenever the asset or the area around it changes, such as a new tank, a layout change or a repair to the structure itself.
What happens when a structure fails?+
Action Required and a CAPA reference are raised against that specific structure, separate from the routine percentage score, so the fix is tracked as its own item rather than folded into next month's average.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Spill and Pollution Prevention
Spill Report
Records a release of chemical, fuel, oil or wastewater
Spill Response Record
Records what was done to contain, clean up and dispose of a spill
Environmental Notification Record
Records what was reported to an environmental regulator, when and by whom
Spill Prevention Plan
Sets out how releases are prevented, including containment, storage and drainage design
Drain Register
Records every drain on site, where it goes and what may enter it
Stormwater Outfall Inspection
Checks stormwater discharge points for sheen, colour, odour and debris
More in Spills
Spill Report
Records a release of chemical, fuel, oil or wastewater
Spill Response Record
Records what was done to contain, clean up and dispose of a spill
Environmental Notification Record
Records what was reported to an environmental regulator, when and by whom
Spill Prevention Plan
Sets out how releases are prevented, including containment, storage and drainage design
Drain Register
Records every drain on site, where it goes and what may enter it
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- EPA SPCC Rule, 40 CFR part 112, Oil Pollution Prevention
- EPA — Environmental Protection Agency
- Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001
- ISO 14001:2015 clauses 8.2 and 9.1.1
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.