Major Spills
If the spill endangers other people outside your workspace or might cause a fire, pull the nearest fire alarm to initiate evacuation and call the local fire department. If the spill caused serious injury to or is likely to cause serious injury, call emergency personnel at
| Location |
Number |
| All UW campuses and UWMC |
911 |
| Cell or off campus phone |
911 |
| Harborview |
3000 or 911 |
Minor and Incidental Spills
Minor and incidental spills will not cause immediate injury, are contained, and have no risk of fire.
For minor spills, you will need technical assistance with spill cleanup and you might need an outside contractor to do the cleanup for you. For incidental spills, you are prepared to clean up the spill yourself with no risk to you and those nearby.
To decide whether you have a minor or an incidental spill, ask yourself:
- Do you know what chemical was spilled?
- Do you know the hazards of the spilled chemical?
- Can you protect yourself from these hazards with protective equipment?
- Do you have and know how to use a chemical spill kit for this chemical?
If you answered NO to any of the above questions or need assistance with the spill cleanup, you have a minor spill. Evacuate and secure the area and seek assistance.
If you need technical assistance during business hours, call our EH&S "Chemical Spills Hotline" at 206.543.0467. When in doubt about whether you need our help or not, call us; we can help you decide what to do.
If you need technical assistance after business hours, call 911 to reach EH&S for technical assistance. Explain that you have a minor spill and that no one is in immediate danger, and that you would like to talk with someone at EH&S who can help you determine if you have a minor spill or an incidental spill.
For a proactive audit of your lab safety program and chemical spill readiness, call 206.543.0467.
Spill kits
If you store and work with chemicals, you must have appropriate spill kits accessible and know how to use them.
EH&S has created a custom general purpose spill kit for small spills of most types. The spill kit contains materials that neutralize an acid spill and absorb small amounts of liquids. It also contains handy items such as goggles, gloves and hazardous waste labels. It is available at Chemstore and Biochemistry Stores. You can also order it from VWR through eProcurement (part #TXGENERALSPILL). The spill kit contains the following:
| Absorbents |
Neutralizing material |
Containers and supplies |
Protective gear |
| Five spill pads, universal for acid, base, solvents and oil (absorbs about 5 liters of liquids) |
1 box baking soda for neutralizing acids (neutralizes about two liters of concentrated acid, half that if dibasic) |
4, 20 x 30", heavy duty (6mm) hazardous waste plastic bags |
1 pair Silvershield gloves, protective against most chemicals |
| | 1 five gallon reuseable screw top plastic drum. Use to store all kit supplies and later to hold spill waste for pickup by EH&S. |
1 pair goggles |
| | Snap together dust pan and brush | 8 pairs of Microgrip powder free nitrile gloves |
| | Waste collection form and labels (available free from EH&S) | |
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However, this spill kit will not be sufficient for large spills or spills of some chemicals. Examples of chemicals that need special kits are:
| Chemical spilled |
Spills kit materials |
| Hydrofluoric acid |
Calcium glutonate gel (call EH&S at 206.616.5835 to order with budget number) |
| Mercury |
See our mercury spills page . |
Respirators
Respirators may be necessary for safe cleanup of toxic volatile chemical spills that occur outside of a fume hood. However, the use of respirators requires prior medical evaluation, training, and fit testing. If you have not already been approved for a respirator, you cannot perform cleanups that require respirators. Consult EH&S at 206.543.7388 before making any respirator purchases. Call 206.543.0467 for assistance with spills that fill your laboratory with toxic fumes.
Chemical spill waste
Waste generated during cleanup is usually hazardous waste and must be contained, labeled, and disposed of as hazardous waste. There are a few exceptions, such as neutralized acid spill materials that have been soaked up in absorbent material such as paper towels.
Follow trash and sink disposal guidelines for proper disposal - for example, solid non-hazardous materials must be double-bagged and labeled as non-hazardous waste before they are put in the trash.
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