Section 10 - Spills or Accidents

All radioactive material users must be instructed on how to respond to and report a spill. All significant incidents involving radioactive materials should be reported to Health and Safety immediately. During business hours Radiation Safety can be reached at extension 6362. After hours and on weekends, call the Campus Police at extension 5155 from any campus phone. When calling Health and Safety, you will be asked to give your name and the names of other potentially effected individuals, the location of the incident, the type and amount of radioactive material involved, and a description of the incident.

a. Specific Incidents that require reporting

The following incidents must be reported to Health and Safety immediately:

Any incident involving possible contamination of an individual's person (any part of the body, including contamination of clothing that may transfer to the body).
Any incident involving disappearance or loss of control of radioactive material, including improper disposal.
Any incident involving known or suspected contamination of floors.
Any incident involving radioactive contamination that cannot be immediately and completely contained and controlled.

b. What to Do while EHS Responds to the Scene

Excluding medical emergencies, you must wait at your laboratory for Radiation Safety to arrive. Additionally, you must keep people away from the effected area and make sure that no one from the laboratory leaves until released by Radiation Safety. By remaining in your laboratory and restricting access you can prevent further contamination and exposure.

c. How to Respond to an Emergency or Accident (Non-Volatiles)

If the spill does not require evacuation of the laboratory, you may begin decontamination as follow:

Don your lab coat, gloves, and eye protection.
Cordon off an area so that no other person will enter.
Use disposable paper towels or pads to absorb any liquid and place into a radioactive waste container. Change gloves frequently.
Decontaminate the spill with a detergent solution or a commercial preparation intended for radioactive decontamination by soaking paper towels in the solution, wiping toward the center of the spill, and placing the towels into the radioactive waste liner.
Survey the area after each effort to determine residual contamination.
Attempt to remove all detectable contamination by repeating until no removable contamination appears on swipe samples.

d. How to Respond to an Emergency or Accident (Volatiles)

e. Ventilation

You should exit and close the door behind you for spills involving a volatile form like sodium iodide. Some spill kits for sodium iodide include a dilute solution of sodium thiosulfate that helps reduce any potential iodine gas. Emergency fume hood flow will help provide adequate ventilation behind your closed laboratory door.

f. Contact with Sodium Iodide (for Sodium Iodide users)

g. Spill Kits

Spill kits can be purchased or assembled from common materials you have in the laboratory.

Common Searches

Section 10 - Spills or Accidents