![]() Once the area is safe, those responsible for cleaning up the spill should get one of your company’s spill kits. This is especially important, for example, if the location of the spill is a confined space. First, prepare the area by ensuring proper ventilation is available. Getting ready to clean up a chemical spill requires two types of preparation. Employees involved in the spill should notify others in the area right away, though, since oil is flammable. This can probably be done fairly easily by employees who are properly trained and have access to the necessary protective gear. If a couple gallons of oil spill at your workplace, they need to be cleaned up right away. Let’s consider a specific example: Oil is a common chemical spilled in the workplace since it’s used in many types of machinery. ![]() Clear communication right away will ensure everyone is safe and secure.ĭuring this step, employees should make sure to stay clear of the spilled substance, as stepping in it could lead to slipping and falling or to unsafe exposure to the chemical. Employees should also contact your facility’s emergency response coordinator or manager. In the case of any spill, workers should alert others in the area so they can evacuate or stay clear of the incident. A larger spill that poses an immediate threat or is too large to easily contain with a cleanup kit will require a bigger response such as alerting fire and medical personnel or bringing in a specially trained cleanup crew. For example, a small spill of a chemical that poses no immediate danger-such as a fire or toxic fumes-is considered an incidental spill, and employees can follow your company’s standard cleanup procedures. Employees working with a hazardous chemical should be familiar with the chemical’s properties (which are listed on its label and SDS) and know whether an immediate threat is posed to the health and safety of people in the area. Assess and CommunicateĮmployees in the immediate area of the spill should survey the situation, using emergency protocol to determine whether the spill is dangerous and whether the quantity of the spill is manageable. (To find this information, personnel should consult the substance’s safety data sheet (SDS).) The following general steps, however, should help keep employees safe. The circumstances and type of spill may mean specific, extra actions are required to handle the situation. ![]() Different types of chemicals will require slightly different procedures, as will the size of a spill.
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