50 Biosafety Manual • Any personnel present during the incident should remain on site and not go home. They may be asked to provide information about what occurred. • Depending on the size of the spill, a contractor may need to be hired to clean up the spill. EH&S will serve an advisory role. 6. While cleaning up the spill, appropriate PPE must be worn. At minimum, nitrile gloves, eye protection, and a lab coat must be worn. A face shield or mask (splash protection) is advised for spills greater than ~10 ml outside a BSC or any spill inside a centrifuge. If there is a potential for aerosolization of the spilled material, use a respirator (see the EH&S Respiratory Protection Manual). 7. Any sharp, contaminated objects must be removed from the spill area using mechanical means, never with hands. 8. Paper towels must be placed on the spilled material and disinfectant poured carefully around the edges of the spill, with care taken to avoid splashing. Working from the outside of the spill toward the center avoids spreading the contamination. Place discarded paper towels into a biohazard bag for disposal. 9. If the spill is inside a centrifuge, the rotor and its contents should be moved to a BSC, if possible. The external surfaces should be decontaminated prior to moving to the BSC. 10. If the spill is inside a BSC, the spill tray underneath the work area and the trough below the air intake grill must be cleaned, as well as the work area itself. These are likely to be contaminated when the spill is large. 11. After initial clean up, paper towels must again be placed on the spill area, flooded with disinfectant, and left to soak for at least 15 minutes or according to manufacturer’s instruction. Adequate contact time is important to ensure complete decontamination. 12. A final wipe-down should be done with clean paper towels soaked with disinfectant. Laboratory personnel should be sure to disinfect any equipment, walls, or other areas likely to have been splashed by the spill. 13. If radioactive material is involved in the spill, also wash the surface with detergent according to radioactive spill guidelines. 14. All contaminated waste must be disposed of properly. 15. Hands must be washed thoroughly with soap and water. Note - Alcohol is not recommended as a disinfectant for large spills, especially inside a BSC, because large amounts of alcohol pose an explosion hazard and small amounts evaporate too quickly to ensure disinfection.
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