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Spill Involving a Biohazardous Material Requiring BSL1 Containment

  1. Wear gloves, lab coat, and eye protection.
  2. Remove contaminated sharps from spill using forceps or tongs.
  3. Cover the spill with paper towels or other absorbent material
  4. Carefully pour bleach (1:10 dilution) around the edges of the spill and work from the edges to the center. Allow for 30-minute exposure time.
  5. Place towels in a biohazard bag for disposal.
  6. Clean spill area with fresh towels soaked in disinfectant.
  7. Wash hands and any potentially contaminated skin before exiting thelaboratory.
  8. Alert your supervisor and Amy Robison, [email protected] (406) 994-6733

If spill is inside a BSC- Keep BSC running for at least 15 minutes after the cleanup. Clean spill tray below work area and through below air intake grill while BSC is running. 

Spill Involving a Biohazardous Material Requiring a BSL2 Containment

  1. Alert people in immediate are ofspill.
  2. Put on protective equipment (gloves, eye protection, and lab coat).
  3. Remove contaminated sharps from the spill using forceps or tongs.
  4. Cover the spill with paper towels or other absorbent material.
  5. Carefully pour bleach (1:10 dilution) around the edges of the spill and work from the edges to the center.
  6. Allow 30-minute contact period.
  7. Discard paper towels or absorbent material into biohazard bag.
  8. Clean fresh towels soaked in disinfectant.
  9. Wash hands and any potentially contaminated skin before exiting thelaboratory.
  10. Notify your supervisor and Amy Robison, [email protected] (406) 994-6733

If spill is inside BSC- Keep BSC running for at least 15 minutes after the cleanup. Clean spill tray below work area and trough below air intake grill while BSC is running.

Biohazard Spill Kit

Every biosafety laboratory that works with biological agents must have a biohazard spill kit on hand, that is readily accessible and easy to find in the laboratory. It should have appropriate equipment and supplies on hand for managing spills and accidents involving biohazardous materials.

Biosafety engineering equipment in the lab should include an eyewash station, a hand-washing sink with soap and paper towels, and a shower.

A biohazardous spill kit should also be kept on hand. The supplies available in a biohazard spill kit should include, but are not limited to:

  1. An autoclavable plastic bucket or bin to keep all contents in.
  2. A copy of this Spill Cleanup Protocol
  3. PPE - Nitrile disposable gloves, eye protection, lab coat (nearby if not in kit)
  4. N95 dust mask respirator(s)
  5. Disposable shoe covers (booties)
  6. Absorbent material, such as absorbent paper towels.
  7. All-purpose disinfectant, such as normal household bleach (freshly diluted 1:10 ) .
  8. Tongs and/or forceps, and/ or dustpan and hand broom for cleaning up broken glass or other contaminated sharps)
  9. Sharps waste container (in lab, nearby)
  10. Autoclavable biohazard waste bags
  11. Biohazardous spill warning signs

All non-disposable items should be autoclavable or compatible with the disinfectant to be used. Most of the listed iteas, as well as other biohazard spill control items, are available at Central Stores, and often are contained within various commercially-available biohazardous spill control kits.