Spillages
Safely dealing with chemical spills across the University.
Introduction
A hazardous substance spill is an unintentional release of hazardous substance out of its container or vessel. Spills create an immediate slip hazard, and when hazardous substances are involved, there is the potential risk of harmful exposure.
Spillages can vary in size from a minor incidental spill resulting from an experiment or project, to a major spill in a chemical storage area. It is important to know the correct actions to take in both scenarios to prevent the situation getting worse. regardless of the size, all spills must be dealt with immediately to prevent further contamination or injury.
Spills procedures should be clearly defined within the COSHH assessment for all substances being used and include the level of protection required to clean up the spill, the equipment to be used to contain and clean up the spill, and the disposal route for all waste following the clean up procedure.
Relevant Documentation:
For information on how to appropriately respond to a chemical spill, please see the Spills Guidance below:
For More Information
For a major spill that is either too large for the available local resources or competencies to sufficiently deal with, where a spill represents an immediate threat to health and the environment, or where assistance is required to manage the scene, please contact Estates & Campus Services on ext. 6677 (023 9284 6677) or Security on ext.3333 (023 9284 3333) immediately.
The emergency chemical spill response procedure will be coordinated through our designated contract providers. Restrict access to prevent further injuries and monitor at a safe distance until support arrives.
Health Safety and Compliance provide internal training for all staff. It it recommended that all persons attend COSHH training prior to dealing with chemical spills. Training can be arranged by contacting hsservicedesk@port.ac.uk. The training calendar is below: