Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILLS For Tulane Laboratory and Facilities Employees May 2012

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Objectives Be Familiar with The Emergency Response Guide Use Good Work Practices Have an Emergency Plan Know What To Do When a Spill Occurs Complete Post-Spill Activities Know How to Report a Spill After-Hours

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Be Familiar with the Emergency Response Guide (Available from OEHS) Medical Emergencies/Personal Injuries Fires Chemicals Biological Materials Radioactive Materials Mercury

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Good Work Practices Hazardous materials spills can be avoided if the following good work practices are followed: –Secure all materials before leaving the work area –Never work with materials on the edge of the lab counter –Transport the material in a container designed for spills ( i.e., shatter proof materials) –Never lift heavy boxes containing hazardous materials –Work with small amounts

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Preparation – Have an Emergency Response Plan Incidents involving hazardous materials will happen and there are steps which a user can take to ensure a quick and safe clean up: –Include in your SOP/Chemical Hygiene Plan a spill response procedure –Post the Emergency Response Guide (available from OEHS) in your area and become familiar the contents –Have accessible hazardous material spill response equipment –Have ready access to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for chemicals used in area –Train everyone in your work area on response procedures, including review of this OEHS training presentation

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Know What To Do When A Spill Occurs - Minor Chemical Spill A minor chemical spill is one that on-site staff are capable of handling safely without the assistance of OEHS and other emergency response personnel. All other chemical spills are considered major.

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Know What To Do When A Spill Occurs - Minor Chemical Spill Turn off or remove sources of ignition Confine the spill (e.g., upright container, close doors, pull down sash of hood) Alert others, evacuate if necessary Notify supervisor Consult MSDS Avoid breathing vapors, wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) Absorb and/or neutralize spill Collect residue, label properly, and dispose as hazardous waste Clean spill area Dispose of or clean PPE Wash hands and exposed skin with soap and water

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Know What To Do When A Spill Occurs Major Chemical Spill Attend to injured or contaminated persons. Remove them from further exposure. As needed, immediately flush the eyes with water using the eyewash fountain or use the safety shower for body exposure. Flush for at least 15 minutes. Alert others in area to evacuate Turn off or remove sources of ignition in the vicinity of the spill

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Know What To Do When A Spill Occurs - Major Chemical Spill (cont’d) Confine the spill (e.g., upright container, close doors, pull down sash of hood) Evacuate the area Close doors to affected area Notify supervisor, OEHS ( , ext. 1), and Tulane Police/TUDPS Standby to assist emergency personnel in uncontaminated area

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Complete Post-Spill Activities Review SOPs and spill response procedures, noting any changes or improvements to be made Replace any spill response equipment that you used Containerize, properly label, and dispose of any hazardous waste with the assistance of OEHS For major spills, OEHS and Tulane Police/TUDPS will complete Incident Reports on the occurrence

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Know How to Report a Hazardous Materials Spill After Hours Activate Fire Alarm if Fire is involved Contact Tulane Police/Public Safety –Uptown – –Health Sciences Center – –Primate Center – Tulane Police will contact the OEHS on- call person

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Biological Material Spills SPILL INVOLVING MICROORGANISM REQUIRING BSL1 CONTAINMENT: Wear disposable gloves. Soak paper towels in disinfectant and place over spill area. Collect paper towels in plastic bag for disposal. Clean spill area with fresh towels soaked in disinfectant. Red bag all waste. Wash hands with soap and water.

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Biological Material Spills SPILL INVOLVING MICROORGANISM REQUIRING BSL2 CONTAINMENT: Alert people in immediate area of spill. If infectious aerosols are involved, evacuate holding breath, and wait 30 minutes before reentry. Notify the supervisor. Wear protective equipment such as disposable gloves, lab coat, gown, apron, shoe covers, safety goggles, HEPA respirator, or face shield. Cover spill with paper towels or other absorbent materials. Pour disinfectant (such as 10% diluted bleach) around edges of spill and then into the spill. Avoid splashing. Wait at least 20 minutes to allow adequate contact disinfection. Wipe up the spill with paper towels, working from the edges into the center. Clean the spill area with fresh towels soaked in disinfectant. Place collected towels in a plastic bag and seal. Decontaminate in an autoclave or put in red bag waste container. Dispose of contaminated personal protective equipment as red bag waste. Wash hands with soap and water.

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Biological Material Spills SPILL INVOLVING MICROORGANISM REQUIRING BSL3 CONTAINMENT: Alert people in the laboratory to evacuate. Evacuate holding breath, and wait 30 minutes before reentry. Attend to injured or contaminated persons and remove them from exposure. Close door to the affected area. Remove any contaminated clothing and wash affected area of body with soap and water. Notify the supervisor, Tulane Police/Public Safety, and OEHS ( , ext. 1). At Primate Center, notify the DSR. (Note: Personnel from the laboratory will be required to provide support to OEHS personnel in the uncontaminated area.) Cleanup and decontamination shall be carried out as in BSL2 instructions above.

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Radioactive Material Spills Danger of radioactive exposure can be measured in terms of time and distance. The less time you are near the source of the radiation, the better. The farther you can get away from the source, the better. MINOR RADIATION SPILL: –Alert people in the immediate area of the spill. –Notify the supervisor and the Radiation Safety Officer ( , ext. 1). –Assemble all potentially contaminated persons and monitor them before allowing them to leave the area. Carefully monitor their shoes. –Wear protective equipment including safety goggles, disposable gloves, shoe covers, and lab coat. –Place absorbent paper towels over liquid spill. Place towels dampened with water over spills of solid materials. –Collect paper towels in a plastic bag using forceps. –Dispose of materials in waste containers designated for radioactive waste. –Monitor the area, hands, and shoes for contamination with an appropriate survey meter or method. –Repeat cleanup until decontamination is no longer detected. –Wash hands with soap and water.

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Radioactive Material Spills MAJOR RADIATION SPILL: –Attend to injured or contaminated persons and remove them from exposure. –Alert people in the laboratory of the need to evacuate. Assemble all potentially contaminated persons and monitor them before allowing them to leave the area. Carefully monitor their shoes. –Notify the supervisor and the Radiation Safety Officer ( , ext. 1). –Close doors and prevent entrance into the affected area. –Wait for response from the Radiation Safety Officer. (Note: Personnel from the laboratory will be required to provide support to OEHS personnel in the uncontaminated area.)

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Mercury Spills Alert personnel in the area of the spill. Evacuate if necessary. Notify supervisor. Ensure area is properly ventilated. Obtain Mercury Spill Kit from OEHS. Wear personal protective equipment including gloves when attempting to clean up spill. Use the mercury spill kit (pipette and suction bulb) and follow the instructions to remove all visible mercury. Cover area with mercury absorbent to amalgamate mercury residue so the spill won’t emit dangerous mercury vapor. Scoop up mercury absorbent and place all materials that have been contaminated with mercury in a plastic bag. Label this bag as Mercury Contaminated Waste and contact OEHS for pick-up. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after cleanup.

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Summary Have an Emergency Response Guide available which lists emergency response procedures and phone numbers Train personnel on how to properly respond to spill incidents involving hazardous materials Prepare your work area by having the proper spill response equipment available Include spill clean up procedures in your SOPs and emergency response plans Be available in the uncontaminated area to assist emergency responders

Tulane University Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Pam Fatland / If unable to proceed to quiz, type the link below into your browser Proceed to Quiz