RESPONDING TO LABORATORY EMERGENCIES

Responding to Laboratory Emergencies Provides basic information about what you should... 

Prepare for emergencies such as chemical spills so that you can avoid and minimize exposures to laboratory chemicals. Preparation involves having a plan to respond to these emergencies. 

As the examples above show, chemical spills in the laboratory can become big problems that impact many people, not only those directly involved in the spill, but also those who respond to the emergency and those who work or live in the vicinity. So now that you have a little better understanding of the impact of spills and the most common causes of spills, let s discuss how we might prevent or minimize these spills. 

Class A and Class B laboratory units should have a manual fire alarm system installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code. The fire alarm system, where provided, should be designed so that all personnel endangered by the fire event should be alerted. The fire alarm system should also alarm to an attended location to alert emergency responders or the public fire department. 

A This symbol denotes a special threat to patients, emergency responders, laboratory personnel, or caregivers. 

Ultimate responsibility for ES H resides with the executive staff and line management at all levels. This responsibility is fulfilled with the same commitment and accountability afforded all other primary responsibilities. All line Managers are charged by the President, Sandia National Laboratories to ensure that the Laboratories ES H policies are followed within their organizations and that all employees are aware of and adhere to all ES H procedures related to their operations and tasks, including how to respond to emergencies. 

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