BIOLOGICAL/RADIOACTIVE SPILLS

If a biological spill occurs:

1.      Call WSU Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 577-1200 and WSU Public Safety at 577-2222.

2.      Alert persons in immediate area of spill.

3.      Attend to injured or contaminated persons and remove them from exposure.

4.      Initiate Office of Environmental Health and Safety’s Emergency Contingency Plan.

WSU Office of Environmental Health and Safety can assist departments/laboratories in developing site specific safety procedures.

Radioactive Spill:

The most common Radiological Emergency at the University is spills of  radioactive material, either on bench tops or floor areas. If you have a spill in your laboratory, do the following:

1.  Notify your colleagues that a spill has occurred, identifying the area where it occurred.

2.  Cover the spill site with absorbent pads or paper towels.

3.  Isolate the laboratory to prevent entrance or egress.

4.  Notify the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 577-1200 or Public Safety at 577-2222. An emergency  response team will go to your laboratory to assess the situation. Health Physics personnel will manage decontamination procedures, including monitoring all persons involved in the spill and clean-up operations.

NOTE: Research activities will resume only upon approval by Health Physics.

All Radiological Emergencies shall be reported immediately to Health Physics.

Any questions related to Radiological Emergencies may be addressed to Director of Environmental Health and Safety at 577-1200.

WSU Office of Environmental Health and Safety can assist departments/laboratories in developing site specific safety procedures.