Handling of spillage; Purpose
The tenacity of this SOP is to define the handling of the spillages in the quality control laboratory to make laboratory safe, neat & clean.
Handling of spillage; Scope
This process is applicable to the chemical room, instrument room in the quality control laboratory of XX Pharmaceuticals Limited.
Definitions / Abbreviation:
[] MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet
[] SOP: Standard Operating Procedure
[] QC: Quality Control
[] Spillage: The act of allowing a fluid or material to escape from the container.
Responsibilities
The roles and responsibility is as follows.
Lab attendant, QC
[] To clean-up the spills maintaining proper procedure.
Officer, QC
[] To ensure that this procedure is followed.
Manager, Quality Control
- To confirm that this process is kept up to date.
- To confirm that the SOP is reflects the required working practices.
- Place training on the SOP to all concerned personnel.
- To confirm implementation of the SOP after training.
Head of Quality Assurance
- Take initiative to Approval of this SOP.
- To confirm the overall implementation of the SOP.
Procedure:
Precaution(s):
- Carefully handle the solvents & chemicals to avoid accidents & spillages.
- Use gloves, mask & eye protector while handling spillage.
- Be watchful while neutralization process of acid or base spills because it may be enthusiastic, cause splashes & yield large amount of heat.
- For spillage of flammable liquids, control all potential source of ignition near spillage area.
- Never generate dust or cause the contaminated powder to become airborne while cleaning of solid spills.
- If broken glass is involved, never pick it up with gloved hand rather than use tongs.
- Ensure that all forms of local exhaust i.e. fume hoods are operating.
- Water shouldn’t be used for chemicals which are water reactive.
- Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up the spill.
- On spillage, personnel who caused the spill will instantly inform supervisor, all persons in the laboratory to take care & the lab attendant to clean spillage.
- Evacuate the specific area, if required.
- Limit access to spill area until total cleanup is completed.
- For water spillage use only mop with dry cloth.
- Wear suitable PPE[personal protective equipment] e.g. gloves, goggles, masks etc. while cleaning up spills.
- Use tongs to pick-up the broken glass, when spills involve broken glass, place it in plastic dustpan to place them in the bin dedicated for broken glassware.
- Use brush & the plastic dustpan to place materials into polyethylene bags & dispose it as chemical waste when spillage of solids.
- If spillage occurs due to liquids like acids or solvents, mop it up clearly.
- When needed, add adequate quantity of absorbent silica or precalcinated silica granules and let stand for few minutes, collect the material using hand gloves into polyethylene bags & dispose it as chemical waste.
- If needed, use sodium bicarbonate to neutralize acids. Use pH paper to check pH when acid spills have been neutralized. Then mop it up with water.
- For spillage of liquids like alkali, add adequate quantity of water to dilute it, mop with the help of dry cloth and finally wipe with wet cloth.
- In case of Mercury spills, begin cleanup procedure with collecting the droplets of mercury. The large droplets can be consolidated by using scraper or a piece of cardboard. For cleaning up small mercury droplets, pick up with a piece of adhesive tape. Slowly & carefully squeeze mercury onto a damp paper towel. Place paper towel into polyethylene bags & dispose it as chemical waste.
- While cleaning the area where spillage of hazardous chemicals & poisonous take precautions as per MSDS of respective chemicals.
- After bulk of the material is cleaned up, wipe up the area with previously mixed detergent water & then with tap water and then leave the area to dry.
- Rinse tools (plastic dustpan, tongs etc.) off plentiful amount of water.
- Dry tools off & keep in isolated place.
- Dispose of gloves as waste and place goggles back into the dedicated area.