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Section 3 - Emergency Procedure
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Chemical Spill Emergency Procedures
Special Note on Broken Mercury Thermometers
Chemical Spill Emergency Procedures
Evacuate
- Leave the spill area; alert others in the area and direct/assist them in leaving.
- Without endangering yourself: remove victims to fresh air, remove contaminated clothing and flush contaminated skin and eyes with water for 15 minutes. If anyone has been injured or exposed to toxic chemicals or chemical vapors, call 911 and seek medical attention immediately.
Confine
- Close doors and isolate the area. Prevent people from entering spill area.
Report
- From a safe place, call the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) for UMTC locations (612) 626-6002 during working hours, 911 after hours (UMTC Campus 911 operators will contact on-call EHS personnel).
- Report that this is an emergency and give your name, phone and location; location of the spill; the name and amount of material spilled; extent of injuries; safest route to the spill.
- Stay by that phone, EHS will advise you as soon as possible.
- EHS or the Fire Department will clean up or stabilize spills which are considered high hazard (fire, health or reactivity hazard). In the case of a small spill and low hazard situation, EHS will advise you on what precautions and protective equipment to use.
Secure
- Until emergency response personnel arrive: block off the areas leading to the spill, lock doors, post signs and warning tape, and alert others of the spill.
- Post staff by commonly used entrances to the area to direct people to use other routes.