Chemical Spill Response in the Lab

1. Chemical Spill Response in the Lab

2. Chemical Spills • Spills can seriously disrupt laboratory operations. • If handled properly, a spill may be nothing more than a nuisance. • In most cases, laboratory workers are the most appropriate people to clean up their spills. • If handled improperly, a spill can disrupt your activities and the work of your colleagues • Evacuation of a room or even the entire building. • Or can cause bodily harm or the lost of valuable material.

3. What to Do When a Spill Occurs? • Aware your colleagues and lab director. • You and others should move well away from the area when determining the appropriate response. • Follow the 3 steps to determine weather a spill is simple or complex: • Evaluating of the spill risks (i.e., volatile vapors, water or air reactive, ignition sources, oxidizers, etc.). • Evaluating of the quantities (i.e., simple or complex spill). • Evaluating the spills potential impact (i.e., toxic vapors after the cleaning, damage of the equipment, etc.).

4. Recommended Procedures for Cleaning Up Spills • First, be sure that you have the right protective equipment that includes: • Appropriate eye protection. • Protective gloves • A lab coat • Make sure all the skin surfaces are covered. • Wear two set of gloves.

5. Prevent the spread of dust and vapors • Close the lab door and increase ventilation through fume hoods. • Spills pillows or similar absorbent materials work the best than cat litter (do not have the dust associated with cat litter) • Control the spread of the liquid. • Make a dike around the outside edges of the spill. • Use absorbent materials such as vermiculite, cat litter, or spill pillows. • Flammable liquids are best removed through the use of spill pillows.

6. Finally • Neutralize acids and bases, if possible. • Neutralization often causes splashes and large amount of heat. • Collect and contain the clean up residues. • The spill residue should be scooped, swept, or placed into a plastic bucket or other container. • Keep clean up materials separate from normal trash. • ACS Task Force, Laboratory Waste Management: A Guidebook, Oxford University Press. • http://portal.acs.org/