University of Nebraska Kearney

Chemical Spill Response and Clean-up Procedures

In the event of a chemical spill, prompt and proper clean-up is essential. The following are general guidelines to be followed for a chemical spill.

1. Immediately alert area occupants and supervisor, and evacuate the area, if necessary.
   
2. If there is a fire or medical attention is needed, contact Public Safety and/or call 911.
   
3. Attend to any people who may be contaminated if your level of training allows. Contaminated clothing must be removed immediately and the skin flushed with water for no less than fifteen minutes. Clothing must be laundered before reuse.
   
4. If a volatile, flammable material is spilled, immediately warn everyone, control sources of ignition and ventilate the area.
   
5. Don personal protective equipment, as appropriate to the hazards.
   
6. 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.
   
7. Using the chart below, determine the extent and type of spill. If the spill is large, if there has been a release to the environment or if there is no one knowledgeable about spill clean-up available, call Public Safety or call 911.

1. Category	Size	Response	Treatment Materials
   Small	up to 300cc	chemical treatment or absorption	neutralization or absorption spill kit
   Medium	300 cc - 5 liters	absorption	absorption spill kit
   Large	more than 5 liters	call public safety	outside help

8. Protect floor drains or other means for environmental release. Spill socks and absorbents may be placed around drains, as needed.
   
9. Contain and clean-up the spill according to the table above.
   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 spilled 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. Many neutralizers for acids or bases have a color change indicator to show when neutralization is complete.
   
10. When spilled materials have been absorbed, use brush and scoop to place materials in an appropriate container. Polyethylene bags may be used for small spills. Five gallon pails or 20 gallon drums with polyethylene liners may be appropriate for larger quantities.
    
11. 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.
    
12. Decontaminate the surface where the spill occurred using a mild detergent and water, when appropriate.
    
13. Report all spills to your supervisor or the Principal Investigator.

Personal Protective Equipment

• 2 pairs chemical splash goggles
  
• 2 pairs of gloves (recommend Silver Shield or 4H)
  
• 2 pairs of shoe covers
  
• 2 plastic or Tyvek aprons and/or Tyvek suits

Absorption Materials

• 4 3M POWERSORB spill pillows (or equivalent)
  
• 1 3M POWERSORB spill sock
  
• 2 DOT pails (5 gallon) with polyethylene liners
  
  • 1 filled with loose absorbent, such as vermiculite or clay
    
  • 1 with minimum amount of loose absorbent in the bottom

Neutralizing Materials

• Acid Neutralizer
  
• Caustic Neutralizer
  
  • commercial neutralizers, such as Neutrasorb (for acids) and Neutracit-2 (for bases) have built in color change to indicate complete neutralization
    
• Solvent Neutralizer
  
  • commercial solvent neutralizers, such as Solusorb, act to reduce vapors and raise the flashpoint of the mixture

Mercury Spills

• Small mercury vacuum to pick up large drops (optional)
  
• Hg Absorb Sponges - amalgamate mercury residue
  
• Hg Absorb Powder - amalgamates mercury
  
• Hg Vapor Absorbent - reduces concentration of vapor in hard to reach areas
  
• Mercury Indicator - powder identifies presence of mercury

Clean-up Tools

• Polypropylene scoop or dust pan
  
• Broom or brush with polypropylene bristles
  
• 2 polypropylene bags
  
• sealing tape
  
• pH test papers
  
• waste stickers
  
• floor sign - DANGER Chemical Spill - Keep Away