Sodium Hydroxide Spill/Splash Lessons Learned & Best Practices B. Engel, C/LC meeting, 3/12/2013

Lessons Learned Write SOP for potentially hazardous processes BEFORE beginning experiment. Always know properties of any hazardous materials you are going to use. Review MSDS before using. Verify all your equipment components are intact and functional BEFORE beginning experiment.

Always put on required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before handling hazardous materials. No short cuts. Stress this in lab- specific training! Start experiments with hazardous materials earlier in the day, so if need to make adjustments, other people will still be around. Avoid working alone.

Know how to reach emergency responders appropriate to incident. Acting in haste, or in state of panic, or when fatigued may lead to unwelcome consequences, including injury and spills. Take a moment to assess situation before acting. For coordinators/EHS staff: We need to remember to be sensitive to potential embarrassment/shame of researcher(s).

Reporting Report the incident to EHS Rep, PI, EHS Coordinator as soon as possible. PI or EHS rep must submit Supervisor’s Injury Report as soon as possible after injury, normally within 24 hours. Follow steps listed at: injury-or-illness

Best Practices For ongoing process running overnight or off- hours, post sign or white board including: 1.Name of researcher(s) 2.Contact info 3.Brief description of materials and process 4.Timetable 5.What to do if see something unusual