# What Is in a Spill Kit? Contents, Types and What to Add

> The CCOHS minimum for a spill kit set against five live kits, with what each includes and what you still need to add.

- **URL:** https://janitori.com/blogs/the-clean-room/spill-kit-contents

**In this guide**
- [What Should a Spill Kit Contain at Minimum?](#min)
- [Which Type of Spill Kit Do You Need?](#types)
- [What Do Common Spill Kits Actually Include?](#kits)
- [What Is Usually Missing From a Kit?](#add)
- [How Do You Respond to a Spill With a Kit?](#use)

Buyers searching “spill kit contents” want to know what belongs in the kit and whether the one they are about to buy has it. This guide sets the CCOHS minimum list beside five live spill kits from our store, quoting each listing’s contents exactly as printed.

Requirements come from the [CCOHS fact sheet on chemical spill response](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/spill-response-chemicals.html); the full range is in our [Spill Control & Absorbents collection](https://janitori.com/en-ca/collections/spill-control-absorbents). Prices are CAD on 2026-11-04.

 **Key takeaways**
- The CCOHS says a spill kit should include, at minimum, PPE, absorbent, neutralizing material, tools, waste bags, hazardous-waste labels, caution tape and first aid supplies where appropriate, matched to the chemicals present.
- Four of the five live kits compared here list gloves, pads or socks and a disposal bag; none of the five printed lists includes caution tape or hazardous-waste labels, so budget to add them.
- Only the Brady Hazwik chemical kit lists acid and base neutralizers; the three SPC kits list nitrile gloves, and the CCOHS says PPE must suit the chemical, so check glove compatibility for yours.
- Prices in the table run $36.60 to $187.50 CAD on 2026-11-04 and change, and contents are quoted from the listings, not from our testing.

## What Should a Spill Kit Contain at Minimum?

At minimum, the CCOHS says a spill kit should include these items, chosen for the chemicals actually present:
- Personal protective equipment appropriate for the chemicals present
- Absorbent material or other methods to contain the spill (sand, absorbent socks)
- Neutralizing material
- Shovel, scoops, pans, containers, vacuum, broom and dustpan, as needed
- Heavy-duty trash bags or containers for the waste
- Labels for identification of the hazardous waste
- Caution tape to isolate the spill area
- First aid supplies, where appropriate

The same fact sheet adds other equipment such as tongs or forceps for broken glass and communication devices (radio, phone), says kits belong near where the chemicals are used and must be well-stocked at all times, and tells workers to clean a spill only if trained and properly equipped.

## Which Type of Spill Kit Do You Need?

It depends on what you store: kits are sold as Universal, Hazmat, Oil Only and specialty types, and the type printed in the listing title is the first thing to match to your liquids.

The CCOHS says to contain a liquid with universal absorbent socks, booms or pillows that are compatible with the spilled chemical, not to use sawdust on an oxidizer because it can catch fire, and to neutralize acids or bases following the manufacturer’s or supplier’s instructions. It also notes specialty kits may be needed for mercury, acids, bases and hydrofluoric acid. Read the SDS of what you store first; our guide to [WHMIS labels](/blogs/the-clean-room/whmis-labels-supplier-vs-workplace-labels-explained) covers what a decanted container must show.

## What Do Common Spill Kits Actually Include?

The five kits below print their contents in the listing, and they differ a lot: the cheapest is a 6-pad chemical kit with neutralizers, the priciest a mercury kit with sponges and powder.

 | Kit listing | Price (CAD) | Contents as printed in the listing

 | [SPC Allwik Economy, Universal, Bag](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/spc-allwik-economy-spill-kit-universal-bag-5-us-gal-absorbancy) | $91.99 | 10 pads (15" x 19"), 2 socks (3" x 4'), 1 pair nitrile gloves, 1 disposal bag, 1 instruction sheet

 | [SPC Universal, Pail](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/spc-spill-kit-universal-pail-9-us-gal-absorbancy) | $114.99 | 10 universal pads (15" x 19"), 3 universal socks (3" x 4'), 1 pair nitrile gloves, 1 disposal bag, 1 instruction sheet; 6.5-gallon reusable bucket

 | [SPC Hazmat, Pail](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/spc-spill-kit-hazmat-pail-10-us-gal-absorbancy) | $135.99 | 10 pads (15" x 19"), 3 socks (3" x 4'), 8 pillows (10" x 10"), 1 pair nitrile gloves, 2 disposal bags, 1 instruction sheet

 | [Brady Hazwik Quick Response, Chemical](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/brady-hazwik-quick-response-spill-kit-for-chemical-spills-hazmat-bag-0-33-us-gal-absorbancy) | $36.60 | 4.5 oz acid neutralizer, 4.5 oz base neutralizer, 6 pads (7.5" x 10"), 1 pair nitrile gloves, scoop and scraper, disposal bag, cable tie, surface sanitizing wipe

 | [Zenith Mercury, Box](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/zenith-mercury-spill-kit-hazmat-box-40-ml-absorbancy) | $187.50 | 1 mercury absorb jar, 2 mercury absorb sponges, 500 g mercury absorb powder, 1 pair XL nitrile gloves, 1 pair safety goggles, 1 disposal bag (6" x 36")

Contents are quoted from each listing; we have not tested absorbency. The bodily-fluids variant is a separate kit type, for example the [Brady Hazwik bodily-fluids kit](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/brady-hazwik-quick-response-spill-kit-for-bodily-fluids-biohazard-bag-0-49-us-gal-absorbancy).

## What Is Usually Missing From a Kit?

Against the CCOHS list, none of the five printed contents lists includes caution tape or hazardous-waste labels, and only the Brady kit lists neutralizers, so add what your chemicals call for.

The CCOHS list also names first aid supplies where appropriate; for splash risks, our [Eyewash & Chemical Safety collection](https://janitori.com/en-ca/collections/eyewash-chemical-safety) carries eyewash stations and related safety gear, so check the SDS of what you store for the first aid it calls for.

Practical add-ons from the same collection: the [Spill Kit Station sign](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/zenith-spill-kit-station-sign-vinyl-english) for the kit location, a [Vikan utility dust pan](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/vikan-utility-dust-pan-plastic) (listed as non-sparking and designed for spill kits), and for drains the [Ultratech Ultra-Drain Seals mat](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/ultratech-ultra-drain-seals-mats-square), which the listing says stops spills going down the drain. Keep the PPE question open: the three SPC kits list nitrile gloves, and the CCOHS says protective clothing must be compatible with the chemical.

## How Do You Respond to a Spill With a Kit?

Follow your written procedure, and follow the CCOHS order: protect yourself first, then stop the source, contain, clean and dispose.
- **1.** Protect yourself and isolate the area: Sound any required alarm, isolate or evacuate as needed, and put on the PPE suited to the chemical before you touch the spill (CCOHS).
- **2.** Stop the source if it is safe: Upright the container or close a valve only if safe, and control ignition sources if the product is flammable.
- **3.** Dike and absorb a liquid: Contain it with socks or booms, keep it out of drains, then soak it up with an absorbent compatible with the chemical.
- **4.** Bag, label and dispose: Put the used absorbent and the chemical in a labelled disposal container made of compatible material, and do not mix incompatible wastes.
- **5.** Report and restock: Report the spill or near-miss through your procedure, then refill the kit so it is well-stocked at all times.

## Frequently Asked Questions

## What should be in a workplace spill kit?

At minimum, the CCOHS lists PPE, absorbent material, neutralizing material, tools, waste bags, hazardous-waste labels, caution tape and first aid supplies where appropriate, matched to the chemicals present.

## Is a universal spill kit enough?

Only if every liquid you store is covered by the kit's stated use. The CCOHS says specialty kits may be necessary for chemicals such as mercury, acids and bases, and the [Zenith mercury kit](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/zenith-mercury-spill-kit-hazmat-box-40-ml-absorbancy) is an example sold specifically for mercury.

## Where should a spill kit be kept?

In a clearly marked location near where the chemicals are used, with every worker knowing where it is and how to use it safely, per the CCOHS. A [Spill Kit Station sign](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/zenith-spill-kit-station-sign-vinyl-english) marks the spot.

## Do I need a different kit for oil?

Kits are sold by type: the listing titles separate Universal, Hazmat and Oil Only, for example the [Zenith Premium Oil Only bag](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/zenith-premium-spill-kit-oil-only-bag). Match the type printed in the title to the liquids you hold, and check the maker's sheet for what it absorbs.

## Related Articles
- [WHMIS Labels: Supplier vs Workplace Labels Explained](/blogs/the-clean-room/whmis-labels-supplier-vs-workplace-labels-explained)
- [Nitrile vs Latex vs Vinyl Gloves: A Commercial Buyer's Comparison](/blogs/the-clean-room/nitrile-vs-latex-vs-vinyl-gloves)
- [Shop Towels vs Shop Rags: Which Wiper Fits the Job?](/blogs/the-clean-room/shop-towels-vs-shop-rags) [Shop Spill Control & Absorbents](https://janitori.com/en-ca/collections/spill-control-absorbents)