If you run a workshop, a garage, a warehouse, or any space where oils, fuels, chemicals, or fluids are stored or used, you need drip trays. It’s not a nice-to-have. It’s not something you’ll get around to one day. It’s something that should have been in place from day one.
A single leaking drum can contaminate your workshop floor, seep into the soil, run into a stormwater drain, and end up in a river. That’s not just an environmental issue — that’s a legal issue, a financial issue, and a safety issue all rolled into one.
And the frustrating part? It’s completely avoidable. A good drip tray catches the leak before it becomes a problem. It costs a fraction of what a cleanup would cost. And it takes about two minutes to put in place.
Let me break down exactly what drip trays are, how they work, what types are available, and why your workshop needs them.
What Exactly Is a Drip Tray?
A drip tray is a shallow containment unit that sits underneath drums, containers, machinery, or any equipment that might leak, drip, or spill liquids. Its job is simple — catch whatever comes out before it hits the floor.
Think of it as a safety net for liquids. If a drum develops a slow leak, the drip tray catches it. If a hose fitting drips during a transfer, the drip tray catches it. If someone knocks a container and a bit splashes out, the drip tray catches it.
They come in different sizes, materials, and configurations depending on what you need them for. Some are small enough to sit under a single drum. Others are large enough to hold an entire pallet of chemicals. Some have removable grates so you can stand drums on top while keeping the spilled liquid contained underneath.
How Drip Trays Work
There’s no complicated technology here. A drip tray is a flat-bottomed tray with raised edges. Liquid that drips, leaks, or spills from whatever is sitting on the tray gets collected in the base. The raised walls stop the liquid from running off onto the floor.
The capacity of the tray — how much liquid it can hold — is called the sump capacity. In South Africa, regulations generally require that your containment can hold at least 110% of the largest container stored on or above the tray. So if you’ve got a 210-litre drum, your containment needs to hold at least 231 litres.
Once liquid collects in the tray, you need to remove it. For oil and fuel drip trays, that usually means draining or pumping the liquid out and disposing of it according to waste regulations. Don’t just tip it out on the ground or pour it down a drain. That’s illegal, and it’s exactly the kind of thing inspectors look for.
Where Drip Trays Are Used Most
Drip trays are used across a wide range of industries, but there are a few environments where they’re absolutely non-negotiable.
Workshops and Garages
This is where drip trays are most commonly found — and most commonly needed. Workshops deal with engine oil, hydraulic fluid, brake fluid, coolant, diesel, petrol, and a dozen other liquids on a daily basis.
Every oil drum should be sitting on a drip tray. Every vehicle being serviced should have a tray underneath it to catch drips. Every workbench where fluids are decanted or mixed should have containment underneath.
If you walk into your workshop right now and see oil stains on the floor, that’s a sign you need more drip trays — or bigger ones.
Warehouses and Storage Facilities
If you store chemicals, oils, paints, solvents, or any other liquids in your warehouse, they need to be on drip trays or in bunded storage areas. A single leaking container on a warehouse floor can spread across a huge area before anyone notices.
Pallet-sized drip trays are ideal for warehouses. You can stack drums or IBCs on them and know that any leaks are contained.
Factories and Manufacturing Plants
Manufacturing environments are full of machines that use oils, lubricants, and coolants. These machines drip. It’s just what they do. Putting drip trays under them keeps the floor clean, prevents slip hazards, and stops contaminants from entering your drainage system.
Farms and Agricultural Operations
Farms store diesel, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers — all of which can cause serious environmental damage if they leak. Drip trays and containment bunds are a legal requirement for the storage of these substances on agricultural land.
The Different Types of Drip Trays
Not all drip trays are the same. The right one for your operation depends on what you’re containing, how much of it there is, and where it’s being stored.
Polyethylene Drip Trays
These are the most popular choice for most applications. Polyethylene is chemically resistant, which means it can handle oils, fuels, solvents, acids, and most industrial chemicals without degrading.
Polyethylene drip trays are lightweight, easy to move, easy to clean, and they don’t rust. They’re available in a huge range of sizes — from small trays that fit under a single 25-litre container to large pallet trays that can hold four 210-litre drums.
For most workshops and storage areas, polyethylene is the go-to material.
Steel Drip Trays
Steel trays are tougher and can handle heavier loads. They’re a good choice for heavy machinery or situations where drums are being moved on and off the tray frequently with a forklift.
The downside is that steel rusts if it’s not treated, and it’s not resistant to all chemicals. If you’re using a steel drip tray, make sure it’s galvanised or powder-coated, and check that it’s compatible with the chemicals you’re storing.
Steel trays are common in heavy industrial environments where durability matters more than chemical resistance. If you’re dealing with oils and fuels rather than aggressive chemicals, steel is a solid option. Just keep an eye on the coating and replace the tray if you start seeing rust.
Drip Trays With Removable Grates
Many drip trays come with a removable grate or grid that sits on top of the tray. Drums or containers sit on the grate, and any leaks drain through the grate into the sump below.
This design is practical because it keeps the drums above the collected liquid. If a drum is sitting directly in a pool of spilled product, it can become slippery and difficult to handle. The grate solves that problem.
It’s easy to lift the grate out for cleaning or to drain the collected liquid.
Spill Pallets and IBC Drip Trays
For larger containers — like IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers) that hold 1,000 litres — you need a bigger solution. Spill pallets and IBC drip trays are designed to hold one or more IBCs with the full containment capacity required by law.
These units are typically made from heavy-duty polyethylene and can support the full weight of a loaded IBC. Some come with built-in drain plugs for easy emptying. If your operation uses IBCs for bulk chemical storage, these are non-negotiable.
Why Every Workshop Needs at Least One
If you’re still on the fence about whether you need drip trays, let me give you three reasons that should settle it.
Protecting Your Floor
Oil and chemicals eat into concrete over time. They stain it, they weaken it, and they make it porous. Once a concrete floor is contaminated, it’s extremely expensive to clean or replace. A R500 drip tray can save you R50,000 in floor repairs. That’s not an exaggeration.
Meeting Legal and Environmental Requirements
South African legislation requires businesses to prevent the contamination of soil and water. If you’re storing hazardous substances without proper containment, you’re not compliant. And if you get caught — or if a spill occurs — the consequences are harsh.
Having drip trays and spill kits on site is one of the simplest ways to demonstrate that you take your environmental responsibilities seriously. Inspectors notice these things, and they make a difference during audits.
Keeping Your Workspace Safe
Oil on the floor is a slip hazard. Chemicals on the floor are a contact hazard. Both of these can result in injuries, workers’ compensation claims, and downtime.
A clean, dry workshop floor is a safe workshop floor. Drip trays help you keep it that way.
How to Choose the Right Size Drip Tray
Getting the right size is important. Too small, and it won’t hold enough to be useful. Too big, and it takes up unnecessary floor space.
Start by looking at what you need to contain. How many drums or containers will be sitting on the tray? What size are they? What’s the total volume of liquid stored above the tray?
Your drip tray needs to hold at least 110% of the volume of the largest single container, or 25% of the total volume of all containers stored on it — whichever is greater. This is a standard guideline, but always check the specific requirements for your industry and location.
If you’re not sure, talk to a drip tray supplier. They can help you work out the right size and capacity for your specific setup.
Maintaining and Cleaning Your Drip Trays
A drip tray is only effective if it’s maintained. If it’s full of old oil and rainwater, it can’t contain a new spill. If it’s cracked or damaged, liquid will leak through.
Check your drip trays regularly. Drain collected liquids and dispose of them properly. Clean the trays with appropriate cleaning agents. Inspect for cracks, holes, or UV damage — especially on polyethylene trays that sit outdoors.
If your drip trays are outside, rainwater will collect in them. That rainwater mixes with whatever oil or chemical residue is in the tray, and it becomes contaminated waste. You can’t just tip it down a drain. It needs to be disposed of properly. Some businesses use absorbent pads or pillows inside their outdoor drip trays to soak up oil and make rainwater management easier.
Set up a schedule. Check your drip trays once a week at minimum. Drain them when they’re more than half full. Clean them out once a month. And inspect for physical damage every time you clean.
Replace any trays that are damaged or deteriorating. A compromised drip tray is as bad as no drip tray at all. A crack in the bottom of a tray defeats the entire purpose of having it there. If it can’t hold liquid, it’s not doing its job.
Keep a record of your inspections and maintenance. If an environmental inspector asks to see your containment records, you want to have something to show them. A simple logbook works — date, what was checked, what condition the trays are in, and what action was taken.
What Happens When You Don’t Use Drip Trays
I’ve seen the results of workshops that don’t bother with containment. Oil-stained concrete floors that are impossible to clean. Stormwater drains contaminated with diesel. Soil around the workshop poisoned with years of slow leaks.
The cleanup costs are brutal. The fines are worse. And the damage to the environment can last for decades.
One workshop I know of had a 1,000-litre IBC of hydraulic oil that developed a crack over a weekend. By Monday morning, the entire contents had drained across the workshop floor, out the door, and into a nearby stream. The cleanup and remediation cost over R400,000. A R2,000 drip tray would have contained the entire spill.
That’s the reality. Drip trays are cheap. Not having them is expensive.
If your workshop doesn’t have proper containment in place, sort it out now. Get the right drip trays, put them where they need to be, and make sure your team knows why they matter. It’s one of the smallest investments you can make with one of the biggest returns.
And pair them with the right spill kits for the chemicals you handle. A drip tray catches the slow leaks and small spills. A spill kit handles the bigger incidents. Together, they form the foundation of a proper spill containment setup.
If you’re not sure which size or type of drip tray you need, talk to a drip tray supplier who understands your industry. Tell them what you’re storing, how much of it you’ve got, and where it’s located. They’ll point you to the right product. And you’ll sleep better knowing your workshop is protected.