Laboratory/Research Assistant Training
Accidents
Chemical Spills
Small spills may be contained and absorbed
using appropriate commercial absorbents. Notify the instructor for
assistance in cleaning up the spill.
If a volatile, flammable or toxic material
is spilled, immediately warn everyone to extinguish flames and turn off
spark-producing equipment.
If the spill presents no fire hazard and is
not particularly volatile or toxic, cleanup is directed by the volume and state
of material. A dustpan and brush should be used and appropriate gloves
should be worn.
To facilitate cleaning of liquids, use
sorbent materials which will neutralize the liquids if possible. For
caustics and bases use SpillX-C. Neutralize acid spills with SpillX-A or
sodium bicarbonate. For solvents and organics, use a safety sorbent.
Most small liquid spills (<100 ml) can
be absorbed with paper towels, sand or an absorbent. Most solid spills can
be brushed up and disposed of in solid waste containers. Care must be exercised
to avoid mixtures of reactive combinations.
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