Spill Procedures: Major and Minor Incidents

Training  Programs & Policies  Documents

See also the section on Spill Kits and Spill Clean Up Procedures

Minor Incidents
  • Minor Incidents= spills you can handle by yourself
  • Less than 4 liters spilled
  • Isolate the area (don’t let others walk near or through the spilled material)
  • Alert people in the immediate area of spill.
  • Avoid breathing vapors from spill (if this is unavoidable, evacuate the lab and call for help).
  • Put on protective equipment, including safety goggles, suitable gloves, and long sleeved lab coat.
How to Clean Up a Minor Spill
  • Confine the spill to as small an area as possible by cleaning it up from the outer edge inward.
  • Use appropriate materials to neutralize and absorb inorganic acids and bases.
  • For other liquids, absorb spill with vermiculite, dry sand, or adsorbent pads.
  • For solid spills.  Cover the spill with a slightly damp paper towel to avoid creating a cloud of dust, Push the material into a dustpan or other instrument using the towel - do not use a broom/dust brush.
  • Collect material, used adsorbents/neutralizing agents, etc. in a polyethylene bucket or bag
  • Place the contained waste in the EHS waste pick up area
  • DO NOT ALLOW THE HOUSEKEEPERS TO REMOVE THIS WASTE
  • Please contact EHS regarding the waste clean up
  • Replenish Spill Kit
  • Conduct an after incident review to examine what went wrong
Major Incidents
  • Major Incidents + Anything you don’t think you can handle
  • Greater than 4 L
  • Highly toxic
  • Flammable
  • Any combination of the above
  • If you are worried about your safety such as should I be wearing a respirator to do this?
  • Human exposure
  • Any time medical attention is required
  • Violent or run-away reactions
  • Highly dangerous or unknown material
  • Fires

When someone has an accident in a laboratory, it is everyone’s responsibility to help.  ALL ACTIVITY STOPS until the accident victim is attended to.

Major Incidents – what you should do
  • ATTEND to injured or contaminated persons and remove them from exposure
  • ALERT people in the area to evacuate.  If danger is believed sufficient - pull the fire alarm and evacuate the building
  • NOTIFY  the Georgia Tech Police at 404-894-2500 or call 911 for help and tell the operator:
    • That you are on the Georgia Tech Campus at _____________street address (on the emergency procedures poster) and in room ______.
    • The nature of the emergency (spill, chemical exposure, fire)
    • If there is an injury involved, tell the operator that an ambulance will be needed.
    • Provide as much of the following as is known.
      • What chemical(s) are involved.
      • How much was spilled.
      • Where the spill is located.
      • Nature of any injuries.
      • What control measures have been taken.
      • Your name and phone number (or where you will be located).
  • IF POSSIBLE
    • Close the fume hood, shut off equipment
    • Post a warning
  • DO NOT LEAVE THE AREA until given permission to do so by a GT EHS representative

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