Initial Spill Notification and Response

Any worker who discovers a hazardous substance spill will immediately notify their supervisor.  The worker will, to his/her best ability, report the hazardous substance involved, the location of the spill, the estimated quantity of material spilled, the direction/flow of the spill material, related fire/explosion incidents, and any associated injuries. The site Emergency Response Plan, found in Chapter
10 of this HASP, will immediately be implemented if an emergency release has occurred.

Employee response to the spill should be defensive in nature (limiting or stopping the spread of the spill), unless trained to a higher level of spill response and approved by the supervisor to attack the spill aggressively.

Spill containment methods take various forms. The objective is to prevent spills from moving away from the area where they can be handled quickly and efficiently. Containers are segregated and stored in bays that are large enough to hold most or all of the spilled substance.

Bare soil should be covered by a barrier, such as plastic or concrete so that spills will not move into the ground.

Isolate drains, ditches and other access routes to water supplies or collection systems using absorbent pads booms or ditches.

The various materials in the spill response kit, soils or items in the vicinity are used to limit the spread of the spill. The source of the spill should only be addressed if the employee has the adequate PPE and there are minimal hazards in stemming the source of the spill. See Appendix 12-D (pdf) for overpack instructions.