Emergency Response | CUHK Emergency Response Guide

Emergency Response Guide

OVER ALL

FIRE

RADIATION
SPILL

BIOLOGICAL
SPILL

CHEMICAL
SPILL

EMERGENCY
RESPONSE PROCEDURES

OVERALL

MEDICAL EMERGENCY: Immediate Procedures

Remain Calm.
Initiate lifesaving measures if required.
Do not move injured person unless there is danger of further harm.
Keep injured person warm.
Call security for Emergency Response.

MAJOR INCIDENT: Immediate Procedures

Attend to injured or contaminated persons and remove them from exposure.
Alert people in the immediate area to evacuate.
Call security for Emergency Response.
Close doors to affected area.
Have person knowledgeable of incident and laboratory assist emergency personnel.

Security Office

University Safety Office

FireMedical Emergency

37999 (anytime)

Major Biological Spill
Major Chemical Spill
Major Radiation Spill

37999 (anytime)

37958 (office hours)

FIRE

Notes and Precautions: Small fires can be extinguished without evacuation. However, an immediate readiness to evacuate is essential in the event the fire cannot be controlled. Fire extinguishers should be used only by trained personnel. Never enter a room that is smoke filled. Never enter a room containing a fire without a backup person. Never open a door if the top half of the door is warm to touch.

Small Fire

Alert people in laboratory and activate alarm.
Smother fire or use correct fire extinguisher.
Aim extinguisher at base of fire.
Always maintain accessible exit.
Avoid smoke or fumes.

Major Fire

Alert people in area to evacuate.
Activate nearest fire alarm.
Close doors to confine fire.
Evacuate to safe area or exit building through stairwell; do not use elevator. (lift)
Call Fire Emergency Response number 37999
Have person knowledgeable of incident and laboratory assist emergency personnel.

RADIATION SPILL

Notes and Precautions: Spreading of radiation beyond the spill area can easily occur by the movement of personnel involved in the spill or cleanup effort. Prevent spread by confining movement of personnel until they have been monitored and found free of contamination. A minor radiation spill is one that the laboratory staff is capable of handling safely without the assistance of safety and emergency personnel. All other radiation spills are considered major.

Minor Radiation Spill

Alert people in immediate area of spill.
Notify Radiation Protection Officer.
Wear protective equipment, including safety goggles, disposable gloves, shoe covers, and long-sleeve lab coat.
Place absorbent paper towels over liquid spill. Place towels dampened with water over spills of solid materials.
Using forceps, place towels in plastic bag. Dispose in radiation waste container.
Monitor area, hands, and shoes for contamination with an appropriate survey meter or method. Repeat cleanup until contamination is no longer detected.

Major Radiation Spill

Attend to injured or contaminated persons and remove them from exposure.
Alert people in the laboratory to evacuate.
Have potentially contaminated personnel stay in one area until they have been monitored and shown to be free of contamination.
Call Security and University Safety Office.(37999 & 37958)
Close doors and prevent entrance into affected area.
Have person knowledgeable of incident and laboratory assist emergency personnel.

BIOLOGICAL SPILL

Notes and Precautions: Biological spills outside biological safety cabinets will generate aerosols that can be dispersed in the air throughout the laboratory . These spills can be serious. The laboratory should not be reentered to decontaminate and clean up the spill for at least 30 minutes. During this time the aerosol will be settled by stopping the exhaust air ventilation system. Appropriate protective equipment is particularly important in decontaminating spills involving microorganisms that require BSL 2 containment. This equipment includes lab coat with long sleeves, back-fastening gown or jumpsuit, disposable gloves, disposable shoe covers, and safety goggles and mask or full face shield. Use of this equipment will prevent contact with contaminated surfaces and protect eyes and mucous membranes from exposure to splattered materials.

Spill Involving a Microorganism Requiring BSL 1 Containment

Wear disposable gloves.
Soak paper towels in disinfectant and place over spill area.
Place towels in plastic bag for disposal.
Clean spill area with fresh towels soaked in disinfectant.

Spill Involving a Microorganism Requiring BSL 2 Containment

Alert people in immediate area of spill.
Put on protective equipment.
Cover spill with paper towels or other absorbent materials.
Carefully pour a freshly prepared 1 in 10 dilution of household bleach around the edges ofthe spill and then into the spill. Avoid splashing.
Allow a 20-minutes contact period.
Use paper towels to wipe up the spill, working from the edges into the center.
Clean spill area with fresh towels soaked in disinfectant.
Place towels in a plastic bag and decontaminate in an autoclave.

Additional Site Instructions:
‍See Biosafety BS Section 4 Treatment of Spill in Cabinets and BS Section 7 Clean up of Microbiological Spills.

CHEMICAL SPILL

Notes and Precautions: The range and quantity of hazardous substances used in laboratories require preplanning to respond safely to chemical spills. The cleanup of a chemical spill should only be done by knowledgeable and experienced personnel. Spill kits with instructions, absorbents, reactants, and protective equipment should be available to clean up minor spills. A minor chemical spill is one that the laboratory staff is capable of handling safely without the assistance of safety and emergency personnel. All other chemicals spills are considered major.

Ensure MSDS is available and understood!

Minor Radiation Spill

Alert people in immediate area of spill.
Wear protective equipment, including safety goggles, gloves, and protective clothing, etc.
Avoid breathing vapors from spill.
Confine spill to small area.
Use appropriate kit to neutralize and absorb inorganic acids and bases. Collect residue, place in container, and dispose as chemical waste.
For other chemicals, use appropriate kit or absorb spill with vermiculite, dry sand, or diatomaceous earth. Collect residue, place in container and dispose as chemical waste.
Clean spill area with water.

Major Chemical Spill

Attend to injured or contaminated persons and remove them from exposure.
Alert people in the laboratory to evacuate.
If spilled material is flammable, turn off ignition and heat sources.
Call University Safety Office (37958) and Security Office.(37999)
Close doors to affected area.
Have person knowledgeable of incident and laboratory assist emergency personnel.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES

Clothing on Fire

Roll person around on floor to smother flame, or drench with water if safety shower is immediately available.
Obtain medical attention, if necessary.
Report incident to supervisor.

Radiation Spill on Body

Remove contaminated clothing.
Rinse exposed area thoroughly with water.
Obtain medical attention, if necessary.
Report incident to supervisor and Radiation Safety Officer.

Chemical Spill on Body

Flood exposed area with running water from faucet or safety shower for at least 5 minutes.
Remove contaminated clothing at once.
Make sure chemical has not accumulated in shoes.
Obtain medical attention, if necessary.
Report incident to supervisor.

Biological Spill on Body

Remove contaminated clothing.
Vigorously wash exposed area with soap and water for 1 minute.
Obtain medical attention, if necessary.
Report incident to supervisor.

Hazardous Material Splashed in Eye

Immediately rinse eyeball and inner surface of eyelid water continuously for 15 minutes.
Forcibly hold eye open to ensure effective wash behind eyelids.
Obtain medical attention.
Report incident to supervisor.

Minor Cuts and Puncture Wounds

Vigorously wash injury with soap and water for several minutes.
Obtain medical attention.
Report incident to supervisor.

All work-related injuries must be reported to the University Safety Office within 24 hours, or the next working day, whichever comes first.

University Safety Office (Ver. 2012)

University Health Service: What to do in case of Accident and Emergency

Biological Spill (Treatment of Biological Waste and Spill Cleanup in Safety Manual)

The basic accountability for safety is with the Chairman / Head of the department "owning" the laboratory. The Department "Head" may delegate responsibilities and to be borne in mind is that safety is in fact everybody's responsibility. The Department must therefore:

To take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for all staff, students, contractors and visitors.
To take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure no action(or inaction) of staff or students at work causes harm to staff, students, contractors (and contractor employees) and visitors.
To have in place a system to identify hazards, assess their potential risk and to control these in their areas of responsibility.
To ensure staff are qualified and knowledgeable in practices for which they are employed and have reasonable resources and authority to perform the duties for which they are accountable.
To ensure staff are aware of and are trained to handle hazards in their work area.
To ensure ongoing programs are in place in safety and staff are of their responsibilities.
To provide opportunity for staff to be involved with development of aware safety procedures.
To advise the USEO as soon as practical of serious accidents or near-misses.

Note: There is a legal responsibility on employers to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that his/her employees do not suffer "harm" while at their place of work, and the actions or inactions of those employees do not cause "harm" to any-one.

This is safety law in a nutshell.

"All reasonably practicable steps" means steps that can be taken with regard to current knowledge, taking into consideration, the cost of taking those steps and the severity of the harm that could arise if they were not taken (Please refer to the Safety Policy).

Chemical Spill Handling Guide and Spill Neutralizer's Capacities

To take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for all staff, students, contractors and visitors.
To take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure no action(or inaction) of staff or students at work causes harm to staff, students, contractors (and contractor employees) and visitors.
To have in place a system to identify hazards, assess their potential risk and to control these in their areas of responsibility.
To ensure staff are qualified and knowledgeable in practices for which they are employed and have reasonable resources and authority to perform the duties for which they are accountable.
To ensure staff are aware of and are trained to handle hazards in their work area.
To ensure ongoing programs are in place in safety and staff are of their responsibilities.
To provide opportunity for staff to be involved with development of aware safety procedures.
To advise the USEO as soon as practical of serious accidents or near-misses.

This is safety law in a nutshell.

Mercury Spill Cleanup Guide

To take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for all staff, students, contractors and visitors.
To take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure no action(or inaction) of staff or students at work causes harm to staff, students, contractors (and contractor employees) and visitors.
To have in place a system to identify hazards, assess their potential risk and to control these in their areas of responsibility.
To ensure staff are qualified and knowledgeable in practices for which they are employed and have reasonable resources and authority to perform the duties for which they are accountable.
To ensure staff are aware of and are trained to handle hazards in their work area.
To ensure ongoing programs are in place in safety and staff are of their responsibilities.
To provide opportunity for staff to be involved with development of aware safety procedures.
To advise the USEO as soon as practical of serious accidents or near-misses.

This is safety law in a nutshell.

Risk Assessment and Control of small chemical spill

To take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for all staff, students, contractors and visitors.
To take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure no action(or inaction) of staff or students at work causes harm to staff, students, contractors (and contractor employees) and visitors.
To have in place a system to identify hazards, assess their potential risk and to control these in their areas of responsibility.
To ensure staff are qualified and knowledgeable in practices for which they are employed and have reasonable resources and authority to perform the duties for which they are accountable.
To ensure staff are aware of and are trained to handle hazards in their work area.
To ensure ongoing programs are in place in safety and staff are of their responsibilities.
To provide opportunity for staff to be involved with development of aware safety procedures.
To advise the USEO as soon as practical of serious accidents or near-misses.

This is safety law in a nutshell.

Hints on First Aid 急救指南 (Chinese document by the Labour Department)

Appointed First Aider Name List

First Aid Box Items Checklist

MSDS - Chemwatch