INITIAL RESPONSE TO
SMALL LABORATORY
SPILLS
*Safe and quick response to small laboratory spills
Rob Provost Manager, Environmental Protection
“A Little Preparation Goes A Long
Way..”
 Know the Hazards of the
Chemicals you work with everyday
 Wear Personal Protective
Equipment EVERYTIME you
handle Chemicals
 Understand and Know the location
of the MSDS of the Chemicals you
handle
 Keep handy SOME Spill Cleanup
Supplies
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Ministry of the Environment (MOE)
Definition
 “spill”, when used with reference to a pollutant,
means a discharge,
(a) into the natural environment,
(b) from or out of a structure, vehicle or other
container, and
(c) that is abnormal in quality or quantity in light
of all the circumstances of the discharge,
and when used as a verb has a corresponding
meaning; (“déversement”, “déverser”)
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
What is a SMALL SPILL??
The size and cleanup difficulty of the spill
can be determined by several different
factors:





Physical state of spill material (ie. Solid,
Liquid or Gas)
Quantity of material
Hazards of the material (Flammable,
Corrosive or Toxicity)
Hazardous Conditions Caused by the spill
Has someone been Contaminated by the
spill
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Physical State of Material
 Solid Spills are easier to
control and cleanup than
liquids
 Identified Liquid spills < 1L can
be controlled and absorbed
with appropriate supplies
 NEVER attempt to stop a stuck
or broken gas cylinder…
Evacuate the AREA and Call
UofT Police 978-2222 !
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Spill Quantity
 Any size spill can be
cleaned up IF you have the
right equipment available!
 If possible do enough to
prevent progress of spill
 Solids spills can be
scooped back into a jar or
beaker
 Liquids can be absorbed
with paper towels, bench
coat or cloth to control it
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Hazards of the Material
 Vapours produced from
spills cause the MOST
hazards, either Toxic or
Flammable
 Corrosive Solids and
Liquids can react with the
response materials
 HIGH vapour pressure
usually is an indication of a
volatile liquid
 NEVER response to
unknown spill alone
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Conditions Caused by Spill
 Solids or Viscous Liquids
can make moving around
slippery and dangerous
 Location of Spill can make
exiting hazardous
 Try not to contaminate
clean areas with the spill
material
 Extinguish any sources of
ignition if spill contains
flammable materials
 Make sure Fume Hoods
are running!
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Contamination of Personnel
 First Priority should be
given to any people
who are contaminated
 Removing
contaminated clothing
to prevent further
contact
 Flush contaminated
area with water for NO
less than fifteen
minutes
 Seek Immediate
Medical Attention
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Cleanup Procedures
 STOP - THINK! Do not rush. Carefully plan cleanup.
 Attend to any persons who may have been
contaminated
 Post signs to identify the hazard and control access
 Review MSDS for Hazards and Cleanup suggestions or
consult a Chemical Dictionary hazards
 Determine whether it can be handled safely
 Contact Environmental Protection Services (EPS) for
Assistance 978-7000
 Eliminate all ignition sources if flammable material is
involved.
 Turn on fumehoods to capture or direct flow of vapours
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Cleanup Procedures cont’d
 Don personal protective equipment, as appropriate
to the hazards.
 Try to confine the spill to a small area. Do not allow
the material to spread.
 Carefully remove other materials, containers,
equipment from path of the spill.
 Absorb any liquids with absorbent or available
supplies
 Sweep solids of low toxicity into a dust pan and place
into container for disposal
(NOTE: Do NOT use BIO or RAD Bags for disposal of
Chemical Waste)
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Cleanup Procedures cont’d
 Dispose of all cleanup materials as hazardous waste.
 Waste must be properly packaged in a leakproof
container, sealed and labelled with a hazardous waste
label.
 Handle the waste the same way you would any other
chemical waste produced from your lab.
 Then report the incident to supervisor and
Environmental Health and Safety and to the local joint
health and safety committee. Use the
"Accident/Incident/Occupational Disease Report" form.
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Response Chart
Hazard
•Contact
•Inhalation
Protection
•SCBA
•Encapsulating Suit
Containment
•Vent remove
Spill State
Gas / Liquid / Solid
Hazard
•Contact
Hazard
•Contact
•Inhalation
Protection
•Dust Mask
•Gloves
Protection
•Vapour Resp.
•Gloves, Boots, Coveralls
Containment
•Sweep
Containment
•Neutralize & Absorb
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Cleanup Techniques
1.
2.
3.
4.
Protect floor drains or other means for
environmental release. Spill socks and absorbents
may be placed around drains, as needed.
Contain and clean-up the spill with the
appropriate material.
Loose spill control materials should be distributed
over the entire spill area, working from the
outside, circling to the inside. This reduces the
chance of splash or spread of the spilled chemical.
When spilled materials have been absorbed, use
brush and scoop to place materials in an
appropriate container. Polyethylene bags may be
used for small spills. Five gallon pails may be
appropriate for larger quantities.
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Spill Cleanup Supplies
Solids
 Warning Sign
 Broom and Dustpan
 Disposal Container, any
leakproof container
 Hazardous Waste Label
Liquids




Warning Sign
Absorbent material
Broom and Dustpan
Disposal Container, any
leakproof container
 Hazardous Waste Label
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Personal Protective Equipment
Already in Lab:
•Safety Glasses or Goggles
•Nitrile Gloves
•Lab coat or Apron
Extra Supplies:
•Neoprene Gloves
•Shoe Covers
•Respirator
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Mercury Spills
One of the most common spills at U of T is a Mercury Spill.
Either from a Thermometer or a leak of elemental
Mercury.
Initial Hazard is from contact, wear gloves while cleaning
Use damp cloth or tissue to wipe mercury into disposal
container or syringe (without sharp) to vacuum up droplets
Be CAREFUL of broken glass if thermometer was
involved
Also dispose of any equipment contaminated that cannot
be properly cleaned
Should the Mercury persist contact EPS for the area to be
vacuumed clean
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Leaking Cylinders
The most dangerous spill situation is a leaking or broken
gas cylinder, for two reasons. The gas contained in the
cylinder can be either toxic, flammable, corrosive, an
asphyxiant or a combination of these.
Initially evacuate the area, have someone contact UofT
Police 978-2222 while finding someone who knows what
the cylinder contains
Try to isolate the area affected by gas through
ventilation controls, fume hoods and securing doors
Signage of the hazard is important to control exposure
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Post Spill Duties
After the spill is cleaned up and the material collected
has been labelled and stored for proper hazardous
disposal, what then?.
May need to limit access to the area until the air has
be refreshed
Reports of the incident should be made to
Environmental Health and Safety and to the local joint
health and safety committee
Notify Caretaking for further cleaning and restoring
the area affected
Remove any warning signs from the area
Restock the supply used !
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
‘Who You Going To Call?’
If you can’t safely handle the spill CALL:
Environmental Protection
Services 978-7000
Weekdays (8AM to 4PM)
or
U of T Police 978-2222
for After Hours Response
Please state type of spill,
quantity, location, contact
person and phone number.
Office of Environmental Health and Safety