## Minor spill in a BSC (few milliliters of hazardous biological material inside a BSC)
The main challenge in this case is to keep benefiting from the protection offered by the BSC while avoiding to export any contamination outside the cabinet.
- Keep the BSC running and keep applying the rules for safe work in a BSC
- If your gloves have been exposed to contamination, change gloves
- Close all open containers
- Spray gently the spilled area and its surroundings with 70% ethanol
- Wipe the work surface and sprayed objects with some absorbing paper
- Discard the absorbing paper, gloves and everything that needs to be eliminated in the infectious waste
- Put on new gloves
- Proceed to a routine decontamination of the BSC using 70% ethanol or the disinfectant that is used for routine decontamination
- Resume or terminate work session
- Notify the incident to your laboratory safety coordinator
## Large spill in a BSC (more than few milliliters or more complicated spill situations)
The main challenge in this case is also to keep benefiting from the protection offered by the BSC while avoiding to export any contamination outside the cabinet. In case the spill would not be contained in the BSC, priority should be given to treating the part of the spill that lays outside the cabinet while keeping the BSC running.
- Keep the BSC running and keep applying the rules for safe work in a BSC
- If your gloves have been exposed to contamination, change gloves
- Close all open containers
- Cover the spilled liquids with absorbing paper
- Pour gently the absorbing paper with 70% ethanol in order to have it soaked
- Let the disinfecting solution act for 30 minutes, leaving all contaminated material within the BSC
- In the meantime, wash hands with soap and prepare other materials that would be needed (e.g., scoop, scraper, forceps, sharp safety box...)
- With new gloves on, clean up the BSC and remove all debris and the absorbing material from the BSC and dispose them carefully in the waste bag or container for contaminated waste
- Spray gently the exposed surfaces inside the BSC with 70% ethanol
- Wipe surfaces and sprayed objects with absorbing paper
- Discard all the materials in the waste bag located inside the BSC, then discard the bag in the external waste bag or container
- Change gloves
- Proceed to a final decontamination of the BSC with the disinfectant that is used in routine
- Resume or terminate work session
- Notify the incident to your laboratory safety coordinator
## Spill outside a BSC
This procedure covers liquid spills that are not likely to provoke
important aerosols (low energy spills such as leakage from a
non-pressurized equipment), occurring on an open bench or on the ground.
- Alert people around
- Change gloves as well as lab coat if they have been exposed to the spill
- Secure the spillage area in order to prevent others to use it (bench) or walk in it (floor)
- Prepare spill kit
- Spread Haz-Tab granules on the spill and cover with absorbing material
- Let the disinfectant act for 15 minutes
- Clean up the area, using the scoop, scraper and, if needed, resistant gloves to collect broken glass
- Discard the absorbing material, gloves and everything that needs to be eliminated in infectious waste
- Spray the spilled area and its surroundings (exposed parts of furniture, equipment and walls) widely with 70% ethanol
- Let the disinfectant act for 5 minutes
- Wipe exposed surfaces with absorbing material
- Proceed to a last surface decontamination of the area wiping it with a freshly diluted Haz-Tab solution (concentration of available chlorine from 1,5 g/l in clean conditions to 6 g/l in dirty conditions)
- Notify the incident to your laboratory safety coordinator
