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SPILL RESPONSE FOR LABORATORY PERSONNEL
In an emergency, call 711 For assistance from EHS, call 6-6281 There are various actions that laboratory personnel
can take in the event of a chemical spill. For
many spills the clean-up action can be taken by
the laboratory worker and need not involve outside
personnel. The EHS spill response team can manage
spills that are beyond the ability of the laboratory
to handle. Still other spill responses may be too
large for EHS to handle and the Baltimore City
Fire Department (BCFD) or an outside contractor
must be called in. The essential question that must be asked by laboratory
personnel is, "Knowing the chemical hazards,
location and quantity, do I have the capability
to respond to the spill safely?" The safety
of everyone in the laboratory and everyone else
in the building is of paramount importance. If
the spill could potentially harm someone, isolate
the area where the spill occurred and call EHS
to report the spill (after business hours call
the University Police at 711 and they will notify
EHS). EHS will determine whether the magnitude
of the spill is within the capability of the EHS
spill response team, BCFD, or the outside contractor. In order to place your laboratory in a position
to be able to handle small spills, a level of preplanning
must occur. Laboratories must have a minimum amount
of personal protective equipment (PPE) and appropriate
clean-up materials present prior to an incident.
Before responding to a spill the minimum PPE needed
includes:
- Splash Goggles
- Lab Coat with sleeves rolled down
- Nitrile or neoprene gloves-in good condition
The supplies needed to clean up a spill will
depend on the quantity and type of chemical
that is spilled. A recommended list of supplies
is:
- Polypropylene pads
- Heavy duty trash bags
- Hazardous waste labels
- A gallon plastic container with lid
- Dust pan and brush
- Laboratory tongs
- Clay absorbent
Clean-up Procedures The responsibility of the first responder
is to limit access to the spill so that unsuspecting
persons do not inadvertently encounter spilled
material and either contaminate themselves
or spread the spilled material beyond the
immediate spill area. The second responsibility is to don the appropriate
personal protective equipment and control
further release and spread of material, if
possible. This step often involves righting
containers and placing absorbent or other
diking material around the spill to prevent
the spread of the spill beyond the containment
area. Once the spill has been contained, the responder
should absorb any free liquid. The appropriate
absorbent will vary with the different chemicals.
Spills of acids and bases can be easily absorbed
into polypropylene pads. If Polypropylene
pads are not available, a safe way to absorb
most any liquid is by using a clay absorbent
similar to kitty litter. The clay is a safe,
cheap and efficient absorbent for chemical
spills. Once all of the free liquids are
absorbed, place all of the absorbents and
other contaminated spill clean-up materials
into a heavy duty trash bag or plastic container. Many spills involve broken glass. The responder
must be careful not to get cut by broken
glass during the clean-up process. Use tongs
to pick-up the broken glass. Once the spill is cleaned up it is necessary
to neutralize any remaining residues and
decontaminate the area. This can be accomplished
by using an acid or base neutralizer for
corrosive chemicals or using warm, soapy
water for other chemicals. NOTE: Water should
never be used for chemicals that are water
reactive. The final step is to inspect the area for
spill residue, hidden contamination, or other
unsafe conditions. Once you are certain that
none of these exist, place the entire spill
clean-up residue and other contaminated materials
into a trash bag or plastic container that
can be sealed shut. Label the container as
hazardous waste and specify the contents.
Then request that the materials be removed
from you laboratory as hazardous waste. Lastly, restock your spill supplies! |
