Chemical Spills Training

When a chemical is spilt, someone has to clear it up. This might be the person who spilt it or, possibly, a trained response team. Whoever it is, they should know about the hazards and risks posed by the substances involved, have access to the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow some kind of plan. The Chemical Spill Response course is designed to provide you and/or your staff with sufficient knowledge about the theory of spill response to enable you to plan for and respond to incidents in your own organisation, such as a spillage in a laboratory or warehouse, or even a leak from a bulk tanker that has rolled over.

Immediate Spill Response

• Don personal protective equipment, as appropriate to the hazards. Refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet or other references for information.
• Consider the need for respiratory protection. The use of a respirator or self-contained breathing apparatus requires specialized training and medical surveillance. Never enter a contaminated atmosphere without protection or use a respirator without training. If respiratory protection is used, be sure there is another person outside the spill area in communication, in case of an emergency. If no one is available, contact Public Safety.
• Protect floor drains or other means for environmental release. Spill socks and absorbents may be placed around drains, as needed.
• 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 spilt chemical. Bulk absorbents and many spill pillows do not work with hydrofluoric acid. POWERSORB® (by 3M) products and their equivalent will handle hydrofluoric acid. Specialized hydrofluoric acid kits also are available for purchase from lab safety suppliers. Many neutralizers for acids or bases have a colour change indicator to show when the spill is neutralized.
• When spilt materials have been absorbed, use a brush and scoop to place materials in an appropriate container. Polyethene bags may be used for small spills. Five-gallon pails or 20-gallon drums with polyethene liners may be appropriate for larger quantities.
• Complete a hazardous waste sticker, identifying the material as Spill Debris involving XYZ Chemical, and affix onto the container. Spill control materials will probably need to be disposed of as hazardous waste.
• Decontaminate the surface where the spill occurred using a mild detergent and water when appropriate.
• Report all spills to your supervisor or the Principal Investigator.

Who Should take this course:

Management, Supervisors and Employees who use chemicals as part of their daily working life.  These people need to be aware of the correct safety procedure to react to a chemical spill effectively.