LABORATORY SAFETY MANUAL

Site Map of Manual

Lab Safety Manual
1st Page

Chapter 1
Emergency Response

Chapter 2
General Safety

Chapter 3
Chemical Hygiene Plan

Chapter 4
Radiological Safety

Chapter 5
Biological Hygiene Plan

Chapter 6
Laser Safety

Chapter 7
Administrative Concerns

Chapter 8
Standard & Special Operating Procedures

Chapter 9
Facility Data

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Appendicies

Bibliography

Glossary

Index

On-Campus Contact Information

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1st Rule of Lab Safety

Haz-Waste No-No

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Updated January 2003

Emergency Response
Section 1.1 - Chemical Spills

All chemical spills shall be reported in writing to the OSU Environmental Health Services Hazardous Materials Section (OSU HAZMAT), regardless of size. The report shall include the date, time, location, chemical(s) and their volume, and names of all persons involved, including any visitors who were exposed and personnel involved in the clean up. A copy of this report shall also be kept by the Departmental Chemical Hygiene Officer.

A. Emergency Spills

A chemical spill is classified as an Emergency Spill whenever it:

1. Causes personal injury or chemical exposure that requires medical attention;
2. Causes a fire hazard or uncontrollable volatility;
3. Requires a need for breathing apparatus of the supplied air or self-contained type to handle the material involved;
4. Involves or contaminates a public area;
5. Causes airborne contamination that requires local or building evacuation;
6. Causes a spill that cannot be controlled or isolated by laboratory personnel;
7. Causes damage to university property that will require repairs;
8. Involves any quantity of metallic mercury;
9. Cannot be properly handled due to lack of local trained personnel and/or equipment to perform a safe, effective cleanup;
10. Requires prolonged or overnight cleanup;
11. Involves an unknown substance; or
12. Enters the land or water.

Although the following tactics are prioritized in terms of usual preferred action sequences, each spill incident is unique and involves persons with varying levels of spill expertise and experience. Thus, for any individual incident, isolation of the spill and/or securing the area might best occur prior to or simultaneously with contacting campus police.

1. Contact the Campus Police for Assistance (911). Notify the police dispatcher of location of the spill and, if known, the chemical spilled.
2. Don't panic! Always send for help first, if possible.
3. If the spill presents an immediate danger, leave the spill site and warn others, control entry to the spill site, and wait for OSU HAZMAT response.
4. Remove contaminated clothing. Flush skin/eyes with water at least 15 minutes to 30; use soap for intermediate and final cleaning of skin areas.
5. Protect yourself, then remove injured person(s) to fresh air, if safe to do so.
6. Notify nearby persons and evacuate as necessary. Prevent entry, as necessary, by posting a guard in a safe area and/or shutting doors.
7. If flammable vapors are involved, do not operate electrical switches unless to turn off motorized equipment. Try to turn off or remove heat sources, where safe to do so.
8. If the substance involved is an unknown, then emergency spill response procedures are limited to self-protection, notification of Campus Police at 911 for response, isolation of the chemical, and evacuating and securing the area involved.
9. Do not touch the spill without protective clothing.
10. Where the spill does not present immediate personal danger, try to control the spread or volume of the spill. This could mean shutting a door, moving nearby equipment to prevent further contamination, repositioning an overturned container or one that has a hole in the bottom or side, creating a dike by putting an absorbent around a spill or opening the sashes on the fume hoods to facilitate removal of vapors.
11. Never assume gases or vapors do not exist or are harmless because of lack of smell.
12. Increase ventilation by opening closed fume hood sashes to the 12 inch or full open position. Exterior doors may be opened to ventilate non-toxic vapors.
13. Use absorbents to collect substances. Reduce vapor concentrations by covering the surface of a liquid spill with absorbent. Control enlargement of the spill area by diking with absorbent.