The Director of Environmental Management will respond to a wide variety of hazardous materials incidents as described below.  For those incidents exceeding the capabilities of the Environmental Management Department, outside assistance will be requested.  Explosive or incendiary devices are not included in this plan and require law enforcement, fire department, or other specialized assistance to respond to these situations.  Public Safety Officers will assume incident command at the scene with the assistance of the Director of Environmental Management.

All personnel working with hazardous materials in the various departments on campus must be aware of the hazards and properties of the material, and the risks in using or storing the material, and must have operational procedures and equipment in place for handling small accidental releases. The Director of Environmental Management is available for assistance in preparing procedures for the various departments.

For the purposes of this contingency plan, chemical spills are divided into two categories:  Small spills and complicated spills. 

Small spills: 

• This includes a spill where the major dimension is less than 2 feet in diameter, involving a known material that is not considered highly toxic.  These spills are confined and present minimal hazards.  They can generally be cleaned up within the department by those involved in the spill or first observing it. 
• Care should be taken to use appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) when necessary to prevent burns to skin or damage to clothing.  In most cases, the spilled material can be neutralized or absorbed with available absorbents.
  
  When responding to spills it is important to prevent inhalation of fumes that may be toxic or have harmful health effects.  When in doubt, the Director of Environmental Management should be contacted for guidance or assistance. 
• Proper respiratory wear should be used for organics and fuming acids.
• If unsure what to do, those involved in or discovering the spill should evacuate the room to prevent exposure, exercising the greatest amount of care to prevent health risks. 
  
  Portable spill kits have been provided in most of the chemistry and biology labs and in the Art Annex.  The kits contain absorbent material, nitrile gloves, safety glasses, a small broom and dust pan, and a plastic bag and/or plastic bucket in which to place the clean-up material. 
• The Environmental Management Department should be contacted to remove and prepare the spill clean-up material for disposal.
• Remember, if the spilled material is hazardous, it must be treated as a hazardous waste after it has been cleaned up. (See response procedures below.) 

Complicated Spills: 

• “Complicated” spills are generally spills where the major dimension exceeds 2 feet and/or any "running" spill where the source of the spill has not been contained or flow has not been stopped. Also included are mercury spills of any size. 
• If you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions, you have a Complicated Spill.
  • Is the identity of the chemical unknown?
  • Are multiple chemicals involved?
  • Are broken glass and body fluids involved?
  • Is the material highly toxic, highly corrosive, flammable or reactive?
  • Did the spill occur in a public space, such as a hallway, sidewalk or street?
  • Is the spill in danger of spreading to other parts of the building, such as through the ventilation system or into storm sewers?
  • Are you unsure about how to clean up this spill?

• In response to a Complicated Spill, you should evacuate the area and preclude inadvertent intrusion until the situation is controlled and warn others in adjacent rooms or areas. 

• Get help:

Safety & Transportation Dispatch Communication Center, 6-5509
Environmental Management, 6-8334 or 343-8550
Call 911 if there is a fire, explosion, injury, or medical emergency

• Identify yourself to the responding parties when they arrive so you can answer any questions they may have.  

Preventing Further Accidents:

Only persons who have been trained for "initial response" by the Director of Environmental Management (DEM) should attempt to contain complicated spills.

For complicated spills and for instances where the emergency showers and eye wash stations are used, larger spill kits (white drums marked “Spill Kit”) have been placed on the first, third and fourth floors of Temple.  There are three kits located on the fourth floor.  They consist of absorbent booms and pads to be used to contain the spilled liquids or the water from the emergency showers and eye wash.  Personal protective equipment is also included in the kits.  Additional spill control equipment is located in the hazardous waste storage area of the Central Stores and Warehouse building and in Public Safety Officers’ vehicles. 

Faculty, staff, and students who are first on the scene in Temple Hall may choose to place the booms in position to prevent the spread of the water from the showers or eye wash stations.  If blood from wounds is involved, students and faculty should avoid contact with the liquids.  If in doubt, do not attempt to contain the material.  Caution must be taken to prevent additional persons from being exposed to spilled chemicals and/or blood.

For larger spills, the DEM will coordinate the clean-up and removal of the waste material.  If the spill cannot be safely contained, neutralized, or absorbed, the DEM will notify the Fire Department HAZMAT team.