Major Spill (Emergency)

Major spills are spills that meet these criteria:

• There is fire or potential for explosion.
• The spill poses an immediate danger to life.
• The spill is greater than 1L
• There are injuries requiring medical attention.
• You do not know the properties of the spilled material.

Major Spill Response Procedure

• Stop work, turn off any ignition sources, get away and close lab doors, and evacuate building by pulling fire alarm.
• Call  911 and describe the details of the incident (chemicals involved, injuries, and any other pertinent information).

If an injury or personal exposure has occurred perform the above and the following as appropriate:

• Move injured persons away from danger zone if you can do so without personal risk.
• Remove any contaminated clothing and flush affected areas with copious amounts of water from a safety shower or eye wash station for at least 15 minutes.
• Administer first aid and call 911.
• Always notify RMS and your PI or Laboratory Supervisor.

Minor Spill (Non-emergency)

Minor spills are spills that involve small volume spill and do not pose an immediate risk to the health and/or physical safety of those in the immediate area and do not involve human contamination. Minor spills can be cleaned up by laboratory personnel if they feel comfortable doing so.

• Notify personnel in the area and restrict access. Eliminate all sources of ignition.
• Review the SDS for the spilled material, or use your knowledge of the hazards of the material to determine the appropriate level of protection.
• Wear gloves and protective eyewear. Clean up using absorbent. Put the contaminated absorbent in a labeled hazardous waste container.
• If greater than 100 ml, or if it will take longer than 15 minutes for you to clean-up (or a major health or fire hazard), immediately call RMS at 940-565-2109 to report the spill, and notify your PI or Laboratory Supervisor

Spill Response Procedure

• Alert all persons nearby.
• Turn off any heat sources and isolate spill area by closing lab door.
• Open fume hoods in the lab if possible.
• Look at SDS to determine PPE needed for cleanup, then put it on.
• Clean up and contain the chemical as described in SDS, avoid inhaling vapors.
• Use appropriate kit to neutralize and absorb inorganic acids and bases. Sweep into suitable waste container.
• Clean spill area with water. Be sure all cleanup tools have been decontaminated.
• Contact RMS for disposal.

Spill Report

• Major spills require an incident investigation to be conducted by the supervisor and RMS. Minor spills must be reported in writing to RMS within one working day of the occurrence. This report must include the date, time, location, names of persons involved, material spilled and volume, as well as a detailed description of the incident and any corrective actions taken.

  Note: If there is a large quantity spill, or you are not 100% sure how to clean up the spill, contact the RMS for assistance.