Compare Trident Containment Booms for Spill Control
Manufactured at our factory in the UK, our extensive range of containment booms helps prevent pollution to watercourses in coastal and inland environments. Booms are physical barriers designed to contain and control the spread of oil, fuel or chemical spills on water or land.
This guide has been developed to help you understand the range of booms available and some of the applications. It does not replace tailored advice from our experts.
What Types of Containment Booms Are Available?
Darcy produces both inflatable and solid containment booms designed for application across different watercourses. They are lightweight, durable, and available in a range of sizes to suit specific site conditions and spill volumes.
On our website, we offer a standardised selection of containment booms. However, bespoke options are available POA. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Economy Fence Boom
The Economy Fence Boom is a cost-effective boom designed for short term deployment on low-flow rivers, brooks, and streams with slow currents. Heavy-duty, UV-stabilised polythene construction with sealed floats, chain ballast, and easy Velcro join. Solid buoyancy chambers make it hard to sink.
This boom offers quick and easy deployment and recovery. The Economy Fence Boom concertinas to store in small areas such as car boots or emergency trailers.
Fence Boom
The Trident Fence Boom is designed for spill response, medium and long-term deployment in all inland and sheltered inshore waters with slow currents.
Our fence booms are lightweight, ensuring they are quick and simple to deploy and retrieve. Fence booms can be supplied with a range of connector options, making them suitable for use in various situations. The overlapping connectors effectively prevent pollutants from leaking through the joints. For ballast, either chains or steel blocks are placed in individually sealed pockets, while the float material, made from polystyrene or closed-cell polyethylene foam, is also held in separate sealed compartments. These features make the boom easy to handle and efficient when removing any contaminants.
When not in use, the boom concertinas, reducing the amount of storage space needed. Through our website, you can purchase standard size Trident Fence Booms constructed from yellow PVC and either EML or EMCON connectors. Other materials, sizes and connectors are available on request.
Inflatable Boom
Trident Inflatable Containment Booms are designed for short-term emergency deployment in inland waters, ports, harbours, and docks. This type of boom is commonly used for deployment from vessels, but its small space requirement and speed of deployment make it suitable for various inland water applications.
The inflatable buoyancy chamber displays a higher buoyancy-to-weight ratio. This boom has a continual skirt and an inbuilt ballast system.
The Trident Inflatable Containment Boom is available through our online store in yellow PVC with EML connectors in standard sizes. You can order them in Orange PU or PUA and with EMCON or ASTM connectors by request.
Beach / Bank Seal Booms
Beach Seal and Bank Seal booms function as an oil containment boom when afloat, and when the water level recedes in tidal or variable water level situations, acts to retain the oil by forming a seal with the ground. Due to the air buoyancy/water ballast tube design, they have excellent wave following characteristics.
The smooth, continuous boom profile inhibits the formation of vortices, thereby discouraging oil loss under the boom. The low air inflation pressure makes the boom flexible, enabling it to follow contours.
The durable orange PU or PUA material is highly resistant to punctures, abrasion and damage from rough handling and has a high hydrocarbon and UV resistance. This boom can be supplied with either EMCON or ASTM connectors.
Harbourguard Boom
The Harbourguard Boom is a high buoyancy boom suited to both harbours and open waters. The boom ensures protection of the harbour side water environment from accidental discharge of oils, fuels, and other contaminating products.
A boom of excellent buoyancy, wave following characteristics and stability consisting of cylindrical foam-filled float sections and a skirt with galvanised chain ballast/tension member.
The Harbourguard Boom is available in either yellow PVC, orange PU or PUA and can be supplied with either ASTM or EMCON connectors.
Debris Boom
The Trident Debris Boom is suitable for installation in environments including rivers, harbours and estuaries to contain floating debris and detritus, including plastics. These booms are also used to protect water inlets from damage and contain debris at outlets. Debris booms can also be deployed as a safety barrier system.
The high-density polyethylene floats are highly resistant to impact and provide high buoyancy. They require minimal maintenance and can be easily removed for cleaning or replacement.
The base fabric is made from PVG and a blend of PVC and PU coated onto a woven polyester scrim, providing good breaking strain, water, and oil resistance. We sell Trident Debris Booms in standard sizes on our website. If the size you require is not available online, please get in touch.
How to Choose a Containment Boom
The type of boom, size, construction material, and connectors required will depend on a large list of variables. It would be impossible to advise in this guide. Our team has over 30 years of marine industry experience and boom expertise. Give us a call on 01732 762338 or use our contact form to arrange a call back.
During the call, we will ask you a number of questions so that we can advise on the best solution for your unique requirements. Before speaking to us, it would be helpful to consider the following:
Where and When Will the Boom Be Used?
- Will the boom be deployed permanently or for emergency response?
- Type of watercourse? (Inland waters, inshore, etc.)
- Is the water course tidal?
- Will there be a requirement for tidal compensators?
- If so, what is the maximum rise and fall (tidal range)?
- What is the depth of the water?
- What is the maximum flow (m/s)?
- Will the boom bottom out at any point?
- If so, what would the surface be?
- Type of water? (Salt, fresh, brackish)
- Wind conditions?
- Temperature range in the location?
- Can you provide location coordinates or a map image?
Boom Requirements
- Overall length of boom
- Section length required
- Overall height of boom
- Freeboard (height of boom above the waterline)
- Draft (below the waterline)
- Material of boom (PVC, PUA or PU)
- How do you intend to anchor the boom?
- Type of connector (EML, EMCON or ASTM)
- Are tow bridles required?
- Will you need an installation team?
What Materials Are Booms Made From?
The material that we use to manufacture containment booms depends on the type of boom and the application. The booms available to purchase through our website come in a standard material; many boom types are available in alternative materials on request.
- PVC – Generally for emergency use and short-term deployment
- PUA (Polyurethane Alloy) – Tougher material suitable for medium-term deployment
- PU – More UV stable and suitable for longer-term deployment
- PVG – A blend of PVC and PU coated onto a woven polyester scrim used for our debris boom.
What Boom Connectors Do I Need?
Connectors are used for joining lengths of boom together. The connectors you require will depend on a variety of factors. If you need assistance, please get in touch to speak to one of our marine experts.
- EML connectors – Manufactured from PVC or PU, these connectors lace together. EML connectors are only suitable for calm, inland waterways and for booms up to 50cm in height.
- EMCON connectors – Manufactured from marine-grade aluminium with thumbscrew fixings, creating a positive seal. EMCON connectors are suitable for booms of any size and are suitable for use in all waterways, including ports and harbours.
- ASTM connectors – US-standardised connectors, manufactured from extruded, marine-grade aluminium. They offer a slide connection with additional thumbscrew fixings and are suitable for applications in ports, harbours, estuaries, and open water.
Storage and Deployment
- Boom tow bridles – Used to safely tow a boom into position, spreading the load evenly across the boom, preventing damage and maintaining the vertical boom profile in water. Bridles can also be used to secure the boom to the bankside.
- Boom inflators – Portable blowers to assist with deploying our range of inflatable booms. Boom inflators offer rapid inflation of all sizes of inflatable booms, quiet operation, and low pressure to prevent over-inflation.
- Tide slides – Enable booms to be fixed to vertical structures, allowing the boom to move up and down with changing water levels. Not currently available online, please contact us to enquire.
- Boom deployment reels – Customisable storage and deployment systems providing rapid response and protection of your booms when not in use. Deployment reels can be open, covered or mounted inside an ISO container. Reels can be manually or hydraulically operated to aid deployment and retrieval. Not currently available online, please contact us for more information.
See Our Range of Deployment Accessories on Our Online Shop
Support, Installation and Advice
Our experts are ready to advise you on marine pollution prevention and control measures.
Site Survey
Our experts can arrange to meet with you to discuss your particular boom application requirements and, where possible, visit the proposed area of deployment to ensure the correct solution is implemented.
Our experts will also help identify any additional risk areas and discuss solutions to mitigate an environmental pollution incident.
Whether you are looking for a preventative measure or emergency spill response, our experts can identify the correct solution.
Installation
In addition to product manufacture and supply, we can arrange for the installation and commissioning of your booms with our team of contractors to ensure the correct setup is achieved.
Speak to Our Boom Experts
Our boom experts are ready to help you find the best solution for your application. To start the conversation, please call us on 0800 0370 899 (UK) / 01732 762338 (Rest of the World) or use our contact form.
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