How much a bund or spill pallet must hold in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, worked out for common drum and IBC stores, with the calculator set up for each.
A UK bund must hold 110 per cent of the largest container, or 25 per cent of everything stored in it, whichever is greater. One 205-litre drum needs 226 litres, and four drums still need 226. The 25 per cent only takes over at the fifth 1,000-litre IBC, at 1,250 litres.
Open the calculator for England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
Standard 205-litre drums and 1,000-litre IBCs of oil under the English rule. The last two columns name the smallest pallet in our range that passes and open the calculator with that store entered.
| Store | Stored | 110% of largest | 25% of total | Bund needs | Drip tray, drums | Smallest pallet | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One 205-litre drum | 205 L | 226 L | – | 226 L | 52 L | F21-SP-203, 260 L | Open |
| Two drums | 410 L | 226 L | 103 L | 226 L | 103 L | F21-SP-203, 260 L | Open |
| Four drums | 820 L | 226 L | 205 L | 226 L | 205 L | F21-SP-401, 250 L | Open |
| Eight drums | 1,640 L | 226 L | 410 L | 410 L | 410 L | F21-IB-301, 1,600 L | Open |
| One 1,000-litre IBC | 1,000 L | 1,100 L | – | 1,100 L | – | F21-IB-102, 1,100 L | Open |
| Two IBCs | 2,000 L | 1,100 L | 500 L | 1,100 L | – | F21-IB-201, 1,100 L | Open |
| Four IBCs | 4,000 L | 1,100 L | 1,000 L | 1,100 L | – | Fixed bund | Open |
| Five IBCs | 5,000 L | 1,100 L | 1,250 L | 1,250 L | – | Fixed bund | Open |
| Four drums and one IBC | 1,820 L | 1,100 L | 455 L | 1,100 L | – | Fixed bund | Open |
Drums and IBCs in one store need separate pallets or one fixed bund. A fixed bund outdoors also needs freeboard for rain above the figure.
All four nations use the same percentages. Where they differ is what falls inside the rules.
| Nation | Law | Containers in scope | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001 | More than 200 litres | Outside the regulations in England: oil inside a building or wholly underground, waste oil, a home tank of 3,500 litres or less, refineries and distribution depots, and oil used for agriculture on a farm, which falls under the farm fuel rules once the farm holds more than 1,500 litres. |
| Wales | Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Oil Storage) (Wales) Regulations 2016 | More than 200 litres | Wales has no exclusion for oil stored inside a building, and farm fuel oil follows the same rule. A home tank is outside it only if it was already in use when the regulations took effect for it. |
| Scotland | Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018, Schedule 9 | 200 litres or more | In force from 1 November 2025, replacing the Controlled Activities Regulations. A 200-litre drum is in scope in Scotland, and the rule applies inside buildings and on farms. Waste oil, and a home tank of 2,500 litres or less for heating or cooking, come under other rules. |
| Northern Ireland | Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 | More than 200 litres | Farms are outside these regulations. Farm fuel oil above 1,250 litres falls under the 2003 farm rules, which use the same 110% and 25% but allow no drip-tray reduction. |
Capacity is one condition of five. The bund must also be impermeable, protected from impact, free of any valve or pipe used to drain it, and sealed where a fill pipe passes through. Our guide to choosing a spill pallet covers load ratings and fit.
Take 110 per cent of the largest container and 25 per cent of the total stored, and size the bund to whichever is greater. With one container it is 110 per cent of that container. One 205-litre drum needs 226 litres; four drums need 226; five 1,000-litre IBCs need 1,250.
Not under the oil storage rules. England, Wales and Northern Ireland start at containers of more than 200 litres, and Scotland at 200 litres, so a store of 20-litre cans sits outside all four however large it grows. A bund sized the same way is still good practice, and a site permit or insurer can ask for one.
Its sump is the bund for what stands on it, so size it the same way: 110 per cent of the largest container or 25 per cent of the total. Drums may stand on a drip tray of 25 per cent of their combined capacity; whether a given pallet counts as a drip tray is for your regulator to decide.
The percentages are the same in all four. The scope differs: Wales and Scotland include oil kept inside a building, which England excludes, and Scotland brings a 200-litre container into scope where the other three start above 200 litres.
The standards and regulations this page relies on, at their issuing body. Where a market rule is named here, check the current revision before you specify against it.
Figures worked out by our spill pallet calculator, applying each rule as read from the official text on 3 October 2026.
Tell us the containers, the liquid and which nation the store is in. We come back with the pallet or bund, its load rating and a quotation.