5. Waste Management and Spill Treatment

5.1 WIS Chemical Waste Disposal

Chemical waste should be treated as hazardous chemicals. Follow these rules:

1. It is forbidden to dispose chemicals into the sink or the sewage.
2. There are six categories of Chemical waste:
   1. Organic materials
   2. Organic materials with halogens
   3. Inorganic materials
   4. Acids
   5. Bases
   6. Ethidium bromide
3. Prior to disposal of the waste, label the container appropriately according to the above categories.
4. A cabinet for collecting the labeled chemical waste must be available on each floor.

5.2 Spill Treatment

5.2.1 Spill Kit

Ready access to a chemical spill kit is required in laboratories that work with hazardous chemicals. Minimally, such a kit should contain:

• safety glasses
• chemical resistent gloves
• plastic bags
• vermiculite absorbing agent (10-liter containers are available in every corridor)
• scooper

Most spills greater than 1 liter in volume require assistance from trained personnel from Safety Services. After working hours, contact ext. 2999 (the Security Center) for professional assistance.

5.2.2 Non-Emergency Situation - Spill

If the spill is less than one liter and the chemical involved is of low toxicity and a low flammable hazard, handle it in the following manner:

1. Locate the spill kit.
2. Choose the proper protective equipment; always wear gloves and protective eye wear.
3. Use escape respirators (masks), located on the corridors' wall, if there is an inhalation hazard above the permissible exposure limit. Always work in a team of two.
4. Confine or contain the spill.
5. Inform Safety Services.

For reactive or potentially reactive spills: Cover liquid spill with Vermiculite absorbent and scoop into an appropriate diposal container.

If there are questions about proper spill response techniques, call the GSO at 3988 or 3844. After working hours, contact ext. 2999 (the Security Center) for professional assistance.

5.2.3 Mercury Spills

For very small spills, less than 1 cc, such as a broken thermometer, use a trapped vacuum line attached to a tapered glass tube, similar to a medicine dropper, to pick up mercury droplets.

1. Do not use a domestic or commercial vacuum cleaner.
2. Cover small droplets in accessible areas with one of the following:
   • sodium polysulfide solution
   • powdered sulfur
   • silver metal compounds
   • dry ice to freeze the mercury droplets
3. Place residue in container for hazardous waste collection.
4. Call the GSO to request professional assistance.

For large spills, i.e. greater than 1 cc, contact the GSO for spill cleanup, instructions or assistance.