Chemical spills
Chemical spills can happen when containers of chemical concentrate are
ruptured while being transported. Or, a container in the chemical store may
have rusted through or been punctured. It is important to have procedures
for dealing with this if this happens.
Personal safety first
Personal safety must come first when dealing with a spill. Don’t charge in
blindly without being properly protected. Wear full protective clothing until
the spill has been completely cleaned up. This highlights the need to have a
set of clean protective gear with you whenever transporting chemicals.
Control, contain and clean the spill
If a chemical spill occurs, the important steps to follow are to control,
contain and clean the spill.
Control the spill
Controlling the flow of any chemical spill should be the first step regardless
of the source of the spill.
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© NSW DET 2007
Contain the spill
As soon as control procedures have been implemented, it is important to
contain the spill as quickly as possible. You must try to do everything
possible to keep it from spreading or getting worse. Depending on the spill,
you may need to:

use a shovel or sand bags—suitable for a large quantity of chemical

prevent any spilled chemical from polluting a water source or storm
water system. If it is a risk, ensure that appropriate authorities are
informed

use absorbent materials such as fine sand, clay or even pet litter—
suitable for liquid chemical spills.
Clean up the spill
Decontaminate or neutralise the area and then clean the area.
Safety equipment manufacturers are now marketing super absorbents which
are able to absorb their own weight in liquid many times over.
These materials are conveniently packaged in porous fabric ‘pillows’ of
different sizes and also ‘socks’ or ‘tubes’. The socks can be effectively used
to dyke around the spill and the pillows can be placed on top of the chemical
and used like a mop.
Contaminated materials and equipment, such as brooms and absorbent
clothing, cannot be decontaminated effectively and should be disposed of
properly immediately after completing the clean-up.
Lastly, everyone involved in the operation should wash using plenty of
soap.
Chemical injury or exposure
The steps for dealing with a chemical injury or exposure to chemicals
include:

isolate the area. Contain, control and clean any spills immediately.
Make sure you are using appropriate Personal Protection Equipment

read the Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for any precautions.
Contact a doctor or the Poisons Information Centre. If necessary,
phone for an ambulance or go to the hospital

use water to flush any chemical splashes on the skin or in eyes

if there are any burns or scalds, immerse in water for 15 minutes—
this reduces the effect of the heat
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
apply first aid to prevent infection and minimise shock

report to clinic manager or veterinarian if unavailable

report the incident to your supervisor

record in an incident book.
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© NSW DET 2007