Emergency Response in Life Sciences
Posted on Wed, Oct 14, 2009 @ 02:09 PM
By Bart Nielsen, Environmental Compliance Specialist
Emergency response in the Life Sciences is a critical safety issue. The collection of chemical, biological, and radioactive materials in research facilities can make emergency preparedness a daunting task.
Safety managers must begin by inventorying and evaluating all of the hazardous materials onsite, then identify the what types of hazards the materials pose to employees and the environment. From there, safety managers must develop systems for the facility and its employees to safely and swiftly respsond to any type of emergency. The number one goal is to eliminate or minize harm to employees and the environment from an emergency.
The cleanup is usually one the most difficult aspects of emergency response. Depending on the size and content of the spilled material, employees may need extensive training from qualified trainings to repsond. Also, additional exposure monitoring and personal protective equipment is often required when cleaning up hazardous material spills.
Here’s a story…
If you’ve ever had to clean up elemental mercury you know that it isn’t that easy to contain. On top of that, it poses a significant respiratory hazard so you should be wearing a mask with an air tank (in most cases).
During a routine job I happened upon a scientist trying to dismantle a barometer that was 6 feet tall and full of mercury. Just as I was about to ask him how he planned on removing the mercury he released a pin at the base and out it poured (I estimate ½ gallon).
I’ve never seen such large pools of mercury all over the floor. Needless to say, I had him evacuate the area.
His first response to me was, “I’ll get the mercury spill kit.”
To which I replied, “Even if you had a spill kit for that much mercury, you don’t have the proper protective equipment.”
His response, “I’ll just hold my breath.”
What do you think I said next???
What challenges or additional safety issues have you encountered when cleaning up a hazardous material spill?
Question: Would you like to share an emergency response experience?