Environment, Health and Safety

5.4.1 Incidental Spills

5.4.1 Incidental Spills

A spill is considered incidental if the criteria below are met:

Physical:

  • The spill is a small quantity of a known chemical. 
  • No gases or vapors are present that require respiratory protection.

Equipment:

  • You have the materials and equipment needed to clean up the spill. 
  • You have the necessary proper personal protective (PPE) equipment available.

Personal:

  • You understand the hazards posed by the spilled chemical. 
  • You know how to clean up the spill. 
  • You feel comfortable cleaning up the spill.
  • You know how to properly dispose of spill cleanup procedures.
  • You have a procedure to replace items used during the spill cleanup.

5.4.1.1 Incidental Spill Cleanup Procedures

5.4.1.1 Incidental Spill Cleanup Procedures
  1. Notify other people in the area that a spill has occurred. Prevent others from coming in contact with the spill (i.e. walking through the spilled chemical). The first priority is to always protect yourself and others. 
  2. Put on the Proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as goggles, gloves, etc. before beginning cleanup. Do not unnecessarily expose yourself to the chemical. 
  3. Stop the source of the spill if possible, and if safe to do so. 
  4. Try to prevent spilled chemicals from entering waterways by building a dike around access points (sink, cup sinks, and floor drains inside and storm drains outside) with absorbent material if you can safely do so. 
  5. Use the appropriate absorbent material for liquid spills (detailed in the following section). 
  6. Slowly add absorbent material on and around the spill and allow the chemical to absorb. Apply enough absorbent to completely cover the spilled liquid. 
  7. Sweep up the absorbed spill from the outside towards the middle. 
  8. Scoop up and deposit in a leak-proof container. 
  9. For acid and base spills, transfer the absorbed materials to a sink, and complete the neutralization prior to drain disposal. 
  10. For absorbed hazardous chemicals, label the container and dispose of through the hazardous waste managementprogram. 
  11. If possible, mark the area of the spill on the floor with chalk. 
  12. Wash the contaminated surface with soapy water. If the spilled chemical is highly toxic, collect the rinse water for proper disposal. 
  13. Report the spill to your supervisor. 
  14. Restock any spill clean up supplies that you may have used from any spill kits.