Emergency Response Guide
Biological or Blood Spill
BIOSAFETY LEVEL 1 (BL1) SPILL
- Alert others in the area.
- Remove contaminated clothing and wash exposed skin
(see INJURY tab above).
- Wear gloves, lab coat, and face protection.
- Cover spill with paper towels and pour disinfectant, e.g., 10% bleach, around and over the spill.Allow suitable contact time, such as 20 minutes.
- Pick up sharp items, e.g., broken glass or needles,with forceps or dust pan and brush and place in a sharps container.
- Discard disposable materials used to clean up the spill in a biowaste bag.Disinfect any non-disposable materials used.
BIOSAFETY LEVEL 2 (BL2) SPILL
- Alert others in the area.Avoid inhaling airborne material while leaving the room.
- Close lab door and post Do Not Enter or place caution tape across door.
- Remove contaminated clothing and wash exposed skin with soap and water (see INJURY tab above).
- Allow aerosols to settle for at least 30 minutes before re-entering
the lab.
- Wear gloves, lab coat, and face protection (depending on nature of spill HEPA N95 respirator may be advised—refer to your lab-specific spill SOP)
- Cover spill with paper towels and pour disinfectant, e.g., 10% bleach, around and over the spill.Allow suitable contact time, such
as 20 minutes.
- Pick up sharp items, e.g., broken glass or needles,with forceps or dust pan and brush and place in a sharps container.
- Discard disposable materials used to clean up the spill in a biowaste bag.
- Wipe the surrounding area and the spill area again with disinfectant.
- Disinfect or autoclave any non-disposable materials used.
BIOSAFETY LEVEL 3 (BL3) SPILL
- Follow your laboratory-specific SOP for BL3 biological spills.
- See the CONTACTS AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT tab below for the location of your laboratory-specific SOP.
BLOOD SPILL
- Alert others in the area.
- Remove contaminated clothing and wash exposed skin with soap
and water (see INJURY tab above).
- Wear gloves, lab coat, and face protection.
- Cover spill with paper towels and pour disinfectant, e.g., 10%
bleach, around and over the spill.Allow suitable contact time, such as 20 minutes.
- Pick up sharp items, e.g., broken glass or needles,with forceps or dust pan and brush and place in a sharps container.
- Discard disposable materials used to clean up the spill in a biowaste bag.
- Wipe the surrounding area and the spill area again with
disinfectant.
- Disinfect or autoclave any non-disposable materials used.
