Spill
First, which kind?
| Where | Do this first |
|---|---|
| Inside a biosafety cabinet | Leave the cabinet running. Do not switch it off. |
| Outside a cabinet, in the lab | Get everyone out, close the door, wait 30 minutes for aerosols to settle. |
| Outside the lab — corridor, lift, public area | Do not clean it up. Keep people away and call (310) 825-9797. |
| Anything you are not equipped for | Call (310) 825-9797. There is no penalty for asking. |
Inside a biosafety cabinet
- Keep the cabinet running.
- Cover the spill with absorbent material.
- Apply 10% bleach and leave the full 10-minute contact time.
- Wipe up, then wipe with 70% ethanol to remove bleach residue.
- Dispose of everything used as biohazardous solid waste.
- Tell the PI and log it.
Outside a biosafety cabinet
- Tell everyone to leave. Close the door. Post a warning sign with your name and number.
- Wait 30 minutes. Do not shortcut this — it is how aerosols settle.
- Put on fresh PPE: gown, double gloves, eye protection.
- Pick up broken glass and sharps with tongs, forceps, or a brush and dustpan — never hands — into a sharps container.
- Cover the spill and the whole splash zone with absorbent.
- Apply 10% bleach and leave the full 10-minute contact time.
- Dispose of absorbent as biohazardous solid waste.
- Disinfect all surfaces again.
- Remove PPE, wash hands.
- Tell the PI, report to (310) 825-9797, and log it.
In a shared space
A spill in a shared fume hood or shared equipment room affects people who are not in this lab and who may not know what was spilled.
- Tell every person present, immediately
- Post a sign on the equipment saying what was spilled, when, and a contact number
- Do not release the space back to shared use until decontamination is complete and the sign comes down
- Tell the other regular users afterwards, even once it is cleaned up
A container dropped in transit
This is the one spill nobody cleans up themselves.
- Do not pick anything up with your hands.
- Keep people away — but stay nearby yourself. You are the only person who knows what was in it.
- Call (310) 825-9797. After hours call 9-1-1 — UCPD holds the 24/7 on-call numbers for EH&S staff.
- Tell responders exactly what the container held.
Disinfectant
10% household bleach, made fresh, 10-minute contact time.
70% ethanol is not a permitted disinfectant for human blood or other potentially infectious material in California. It is used only to remove bleach residue after the contact time has elapsed.