Cleaning up a biohazardous spill in a biosafety cabinet
- Let the BSC run. Do not turn it off.
- Remove broken glass with forceps, tweezers, or other tools, and place glass in a sharps container. Do not wipe up broken glass.
- Cover the spill with paper towels.
- Pour (don’t spray) disinfectant [identify specific disinfectant] to the contaminated surface by pouring it around the periphery of the covered spill and moving inward. Allow the appropriate contact time [identify specific contact time] for the disinfectant and agent.
- After the contact time, wipe up the spilled material.
- Reapply disinfectant to the affected area and after the appropriate contact time, wipe up the area. Repeat if necessary.
- Perform disinfection before removing items.
- Segregate contaminated cleanup materials into the appropriate biohazardous waste containers.
Cleaning up a biohazardous spill outside of a biosafety cabinet
- Close off the area and allow aerosols to settle.
- Notify others, including a supervisor.
- Assemble all spill cleanup materials and review the procedure.
- Don appropriate PPE: laboratory coat, safety glasses or chemical splash goggles (depending on the risk of splashes), and Nitrile gloves.
- Cover the spill with paper towels.
- Pour (don’t spray) disinfectant [identify specific disinfectant] onto the contaminated surface covered with paper towels by pouring it around the periphery of the spill area, moving inward. Allow the appropriate contact time [identify specific contact time] for the disinfectant and agent.
- Wipe up the spill. Dispose of the waste in the biohazardous waste containers.
- Reapply disinfectant to the contaminated surface and allow it to stand for proper contact time.
- Wipe up disinfectant, and repeat if necessary.
- Segregate contaminated cleanup materials into the appropriate biohazardous waste containers.
Cleaning up a biohazardous spill inside a centrifuge
- Close off the area and allow aerosols to settle.
- Notify others, including a supervisor.
- Wait 10 minutes to allow the aerosols to settle [unless the rotor is equipped with engineering controls for aerosol/liquid release].
- Don appropriate PPE: laboratory coat, safety glasses, and Nitrile gloves.
- Remove the rotor and place it in Biosafety Cabinet.
- Thoroughly disinfect [identify specific disinfectant] the inside and outside of the centrifuge rotor, cups and accessories and allow proper contact time [identify specific contact time]. After disinfection, move to the sink for a thorough rinse and dry thoroughly.
- For the centrifuge interior, follow the steps above to clean up a spill outside a Biosafety Cabinet.
- Segregate contaminated cleanup materials into the appropriate biohazardous waste containers.