Spills of Hazardous, Infectious or Quarantine Material

General Spills | Major Spills | Spill Procedures | Liquid Spills | Solid Spills | Mercury Spills | Radiation Spills

General Spills

Spills are difficult to deal with. Consequently storage and work practices that will prevent spills must always be the primary method of dealing with spills.

Spills cause a hazard at several levels:

1. Mechanical - the spilled material is innocuous but causes a slip hazard e.g. water on the floor
2. The material is dangerous goods and if touched may cause injury or could catch fire and/or explode.
3. The material is a hazardous substance, i.e. could be toxic, pathogenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic and any form of ingestion will cause harm.
4. The substances in 2 & 3 may be volatile so their danger can spread quickly from the original point of spill.
5. The substance is radioactive; extensive information on dealing with radioactive spills is contained in the radioactive procedures documents.
6. The material is quarantine and must not escape the quarantine area.

Any permutation of items 2 - 5 is possible.

The main controls are:

• Bundage - A secondary container to contain any spill from the primary vessel.
• Care in transport and handling.

While spills can take many forms, the two situations we are likely to meet are:

1. The accidental escape of a significant amount of solid or liquid chemical, culture or radionuclide, in this case read: Major Spills
2. The small invisible or almost invisible contamination caused by:
   a) Touching surfaces with contaminated gloves.
   b) Failure to clean small drips from the necks of bottles, leaving a contaminated bottle.
   c) Minor spills around balances.

The  second category of situations are all unacceptable! Any analysis of these situations shows they are the more likely to cause injury to our workers, than a major spill. School policy is zero tolerance to procedures that will lead to contamination.

Consequently the School expects:

• That all all surfaces that do not have a sign warning of contamination will be absolutely clean.
• That containers of chemicals, reagents and cultures will have none of their contents on the outside.
• That all balances will have no chemical visible or invisible on or about them.
• Any escape of material is a spill and must be cleaned immediately.
• Glove wearing is limited to work areas and only one glove is to be used if gloving is needed while moving. (to touch all common surfaces use your un-gloved hand). 

Major Spills

Human safety must be your primary concern: Hazardous substance spills are complex difficult situations to deal with.  Unless you are absolutely certain of the safety of your actions, do nothing other than evacuate and secure the area then report the matter. If the spill produces a harmful vapour this is your only option.

• Always use disposable PPE (contained in the spill kit) for Major spills.

Any major spills must be reported immediately to one of the following:

The school has provided the following spill clear-up materials to use if you determine that it is safe to proceed:

1. Very large spills

Spill response trolleys are provided in the goods lift lobby of the MLS building, This must not be used until the spill has been reported.

2. Spills 3 litres or less or 500 grams or less

On each floor or radiation work area of our buildings the appropriate one/s of the following types of kit are available:

• Mercury spill kit
• Universal Spill kit
• Radiation Spill kit
• Quarantine Spill kit
• Extra person PPE kits

Each kit has the appropriate procedures, for use, written on it.

Spill procedures

Liquid Spill

• Acid, Alkali, Solvent, Biological, Formaldehyde and Unknown substance.
• Secure the area i.e. Make sure everybody moves to a safe distance.
• Select the Universal spill kit.
• Read the instructions
• Don the gown, mask, gloves and overshoes, if you have an assistant give them an extra person PPE kit so they can do the same.
• If the spill is a microorganism or Quarantine material introduce an appropriate disinfectant to the spill being careful not to create an aerosol.
• Next or if the spill is acid, alkali, solvent or formaldehyde add the absorbent to the spill layering it over the whole surface of the spill. Note: the the absorbent will indicate if the spill was acid: yellow or alkali: red.
• Allow the absorbent to form a sludge, this should take only a few minutes. Note: just because the spilled substance is bound to the absorbent does not mean it no longer toxic, flammable and/or corrosive.
• Scrape the sludge into the disposable scoop and deposit it into the plastic disposal bag.
• When all the sludge is removed place the scoop into the plastic disposal bag.
• If the previous container is not contaminated it can be disposed of into an appropriate bin. If it is contaminated place it in the plastic disposal bag. If it is glass it may need to be wrapped, use one of the extra plastic from the spill kit cabinet.
• When the all the sludge is scraped up wipe the spill area with a cloth (wet if appropriate) to remove all traces of the spilled material.
• Deposit the cloths into the plastic disposal bag.
• If you are satisfied all the spill material is removed, take of your disposable gown, overshoes, gloves and mask, in that order, placing each in turn into the plastic disposal bag.
• Tie up the disposal bag, place it in the second plastic disposal bag and tie up the second bag.
• Consult the School Safety Co-ordinator about disposal.

• Make sure everybody moves to a safe distance.
• Select the universal spill kit from the cabinet
• Read the instructions
• Don the gown, mask, gloves and overshoes, if you have an assistant give them an extra person PPE kit so they can do the same.
• You must decide if the spilled solid is to be recovered or disposed of.
• If the material is Quarantine Material introduce an appropriate disinfectant

• If the previous container is not contaminated it can be disposed of into an appropriate bin. If it is contaminated place it in the plastic disposal bag. If it is glass it may need to be wrapped, use one of the extra plastic from the spill kit cabinet.
• Once all the spilled solid is removed, wipe the spill area with a cloth (wet if appropriate) to remove all traces of the spilled material.
• Deposit the cloths into the plastic disposal bag.
• If you are satisfied all the spill material is removed, take of your disposable gown, overshoes, gloves and mask, in that order, placing each in turn into the plastic disposal bag.
• Tie up the disposal bag, place it in the second plastic disposal bag and tie up the second bag.
• Consult the School Safety Co-ordinator about disposal.

Mercury Spills

Mercury spills tend to be small, usually less than a ml. Mercury is a powerful toxin but it vaporises slowly and is difficult to ingest, nevertheless it is a cumulative toxin and all mercury spills must be completely cleared up.

Note: The amalgamation powder (MERCSORB), in our kits, is a mixture of finely powdered zinc and citric acid. Zinc dust reacts with water and will produce some hydrogen which possibly can ignite. This amalgamation powder can irritate the skin and the upper respiratory
system and the eyes; take the correct precautions (i.e. follow the spill procedure) to avoid any problems.

• Do not bring any metal object in contact with the mercury.
• Get the mercury spill kit
• Read the instructions
• Don the mask, gloves and gown if you have an assistant give them an extra person PPE kit, so they can do the same.
• Using the disposable scoop and scraper pick up any large drops of mercury and place them in the small plastic container.
• Add 30 mls of water to the container of amalgamation powder and mix, with the wood spatula to form a paste.
• Apply a strip of the paste across the edge of the mercury contaminated area. Push the paste strip slowly across the contaminated surface with the wooden spatula. Apply the paste in one direction only.
• Repeat the above with a second strip of paste.
• Scrape the sludge into the disposable scoop and deposit it into the plastic disposal bag.
• When all the sludge is removed place the scoop and the plastic container of mercury drops into the plastic disposal bag.
• When the all the sludge is scraped up wipe the spill area with a wet cloth.
• Deposit the cloths into the plastic disposal bag.
• If you are satisfied all the spill material is removed, take of your disposable gown, overshoes, gloves and mask, in that order, placing each in turn into the plastic disposal bag.
• Tie up the disposal bag, place it in the second plastic disposal bag and tie up the second bag.
• Consult the School Safety Co-ordinator about disposal.

Radiation Spills

Radiation spills/contamination present in many different ways. The University's "General Working Rules for Unsealed Radioactive Materials", which must be displayed on the wall of your working area, advises on appropriate ways to deal with any spill/contamination incident.

Important Points to Note:

• Put the PPE, in the spill kit, on and put up the warning signs immediately
• The spill kit contains tape so the contaminated area can be marked before it dries out and becomes invisible.

A treatment step to destroy the organism/GMO will be added to the liquid or solid spill procedure; see PC1/PC2 procedures as appropriate

Tony Richardson: 27/02/2009
Reviewed by Kate Dixon: 07/08/2009