Accidents happen … you should always have plans in place and steps to follow when a spill in the workplace occurs. KEVIN MURPHY, MD of environment, health, and safety provider Spill Doctor, delves into eight steps that can help you to respond to a chemical, oil, or hazardous spill. The most important aspect of managing hazardous spills is prevention; most spills can be avoided by properly assessing the risks and adopting the necessary precautions, such as safe storage. Accidents do happen though, and dealing with a spill can range from a straightforward procedure to a complex and dangerous operation. Whatever sort of spill you encounter, it is essential that you always work to a “trained for” plan that minimises the risk to responders, involved personnel, and the surrounding environment. The following instructions may, at first glance, seem very basic. However, if followed step by step each and every time you respond to a spill – no matter its size – they will help to successfully get you from spill to safety. Step 1 – Assess As soon as you encounter a spill – and until it has been successfully dealt with – you must constantly assess the risk it poses to personnel, the environment, and property. You should never tackle a spill on your own. Inform colleagues and wait for at least one other person before dealing with an incident. Safety always comes first. If it is safe to do so, try to determine what the liquid is, the quantity involved, and whether there are any casualties. Step 2 – Protect Always wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to allow you to safely respond to the spill. Check the safety data sheet for any hazards associated with the liquid spilled and then dress accordingly. If in doubt, assume the worst and wear the highest level of PPE. For rapid response, the location of spill containment equipment should also be marked on a readily available site plan, while an inventory of on-site chemicals will help responders to understand what they are dealing with. Step 3 – Contain Following a spill, containment is crucial. It buys time and reduces the area of contamination, thereby lessening the spill’s impact. Use absorbent socks and booms or physical barriers to provide fast, effective containment. It is always better to try to keep any hazardous spill on the surface, so spill kits should be located next to storage areas, with sealing products positioned next to site drains. Step 4 – Stop the spill Once the spill has been contained, you need to stop its source, whether that involves rolling a drum damaged side up, turning off a tap, or plugging the hole in a container. If appropriate, decant any remaining liquid into a secondary container. Remember: never step in the spill. Step 5 – Reassess After the spill has been contained and the source controlled, reassess the entire situation before starting the clean-up. Ensure that the spill is fully under control. Step 6 – Clean-up This can be as simple as wiping up with sorbent pads, through to using additional sorbents and/or a compatible “wet vac”. Remember to treat contaminated material with the same caution as the spilled liquid itself and dispose of it accordingly. Step 7 – Decontamination Ensure all personnel involved with the spill are fully decontaminated; at the spill site, all PPE and equipment must also be fully decontaminated and checked. If items have been damaged or cannot be fully decontaminated, dispose of them accordingly and replace them with new ones. Step 8 – Report and replenish Debrief all personnel involved, compile a complete report of the incident, and fill out all associated paperwork. If need be, change your procedures and/or the location of some or all of your spill response equipment. Remember to replenish/restock all front-line equipment and backup stocks, such as PPE and drain covers. Learn from the experience; you will be better prepared should there be a next time. Staff training is paramount: they need to be familiar with the layout of the site, the equipment they will be using, and how to use it safely and effectively. Hopefully, any incident will be a rare occurrence and the only time your staff will need to respond to a spill is during regular refresher training. This training should be programmed in as a matter of course, just like any other training, such as first aid or fire extinguisher use. source: https://sheqmanagement.com/simple-steps-for-spill-response/
