The range and quantities of hazardous substances used in laboratories require preplanning to respond safely to chemical spills. The cleanup of a chemical spill should only be performed by personnel familiar with the chemicals involved. The nature of the spill is determined by the risk that the hazardous substance carries and the level to which the spill is contained, e.g. volume and location of spill.

A chemical spill in the laboratory can range from a minor incident, which staff can deal with immediately, or a potentially hazardous situation that may pose danger to both the laboratory workers and the environment therefore requiring expert assistance.

A minor spill – non - emergency: (e.g., laboratory quantities of hazardous substances) is one that staff is capable of handling without assistance from safety & emergency personnel

A major spill - emergency: (e.g., fire, health or reactivity hazard; bulk quantities of hazardous substances) will likely require assistance from safety & emergency personnel (i.e., Fire Department)

Emergency

Non-Emergency

The situation is unclear to the   person causing or discovering   the spill. The release requires evacuation   of personnel. The release involves or poses a   threat of fire, explosion or other   imminent danger. Conditions are Immediately   dangerous to Life and Health. High exposure levels of toxic   substances are present. Personnel are uncertain if they can handle the severity of the hazard and/or the exposure limit could easily be exceeded.

The person causing or   discovering the release   understands the properties   and can make an informed   decision as to the exposure   level involved. The release can be   appropriately cleaned up by lab   personnel using available spill   clean up materials. The materials are limited in quantity, exposure potential, or toxicity and present only minor safety or health hazards to persons in the immediate work area or those assigned to clean up the activity.

Chemical Spill Management

The following procedure outlines the steps necessary to manage a chemical spill, in such a way that the potential for injury or damage to the environment is minimized.

Emergency Spill Response

Non-Emergency Spill Response

Evacuate - Stop work, do not touch any substance, evacuate personnel from the spill area and alert those nearby. DO NOT use elevators / Lifts. Confine - Isolate the spill area (e.g., close doors to the room where the spill occurred). Report – Contact the Safety officer or a building warden. If necessary, advise security (ext 5200), who will notify the Fire Brigade Secure - Block off the areas leading to the spill until the arrival of the emergency response personnel. Caution - Do Not go back into an area where a spill has occurred.  Rescuers not wearing protective equipment have been overcome by toxic or asphyxiating fumes attempting to rescue others. Determine if any person is injured. Take care not to become a victim yourself. If required, summon a First Aid Officer. To assist the responding emergency service, identify the chemical involved, check Material Safety Data Sheet or label.

Containment - spills must be cleaned up promptly and thoroughly. Limit access to the spill area to those involved in the cleanup process. Identify the chemical/s and hazards involved – check Material Safety Data sheet. Approach with care. Never assume that the spilled chemicals are harmless. Use the information on the physical and chemical properties of the material to judge response and/or evacuation procedures Choose the appropriate personnel protective equipment.  Always wear gloves and protective eyewear.  Use additional protective equipment if needed. Confine or contain the spill. Cover/absorb liquid spills with absorbent (e.g., floor dry, sand, paper towels) and sweep/scoop clean up materials into a bag. Decontaminate equipment, clothing and personnel, including any victims, on site if necessary. Dispose of contaminated equipment and materials only after receiving specialist advice. Ensure emergency procedures are in place and practiced.

 

Specific Chemical Spills

 Acid: spills should be neutralized with sodium bicarbonate. Spill Kits contain soda ash (sodium bicarbonate) can be used. Avoid breathing soda ash dust.

Alkali: spills can be neutralized with boric acid.

Mercury spills: should be vacuumed with mercury vacuum. Clean up the mercury thoroughly, because mercury vapors from fine droplets that are highly toxic. Once the Mercury is contained it should be clearly labeled and submitted for waste disposal.  

Laboratory Spills Kit

Readily accessible to a chemical spill kit is required in laboratories that work with hazardous chemicals. Minimally, such a kit should contain: splash resistant goggles

• chemical resistant gloves

• plastic bags

• multi-chemical absorbent (enough for a 2 gallon spill)

• acid/caustic/formalin neutralizers

• mop and bucket

• small/large broom

• plastic scoop and dust pan