Spill Kit Contents
Q: Are there specific items that OSHA requires in a spill kit for a medical surgical center. Where can I find a list of these items? Thank you for your time.
A: OSHA regulations generally are not specific in nature. The verbiage in the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard regarding spill clean-up is no exception. OSHA states:
"All spills shall be immediately contained and cleaned up by appropriate professional staff or others properly trained and equipped..."
"Contaminated work surfaces shall be decontaminated after any spill of blood or other potentially infectious materials."
From the statement we can gather some of the requirements for what a spill kit should contain based upon what OSHA requires us to do:
Contain the spill = Sorbent material (like paper towels for small spills, powdered adsorbent/absorbent for large spills)
Dispose of the biohazardous waste = Red bag or sharps container (if it contains broken glass, etc.)
A way to get the spilled material into the disposal container = Scoop (preferred), tongs, or forceps
Protection for employees when cleaning the spill = PPE (i.e. heavy duty vinyl utility gloves)
A way to decontaminate the surface = Hospital-level disinfectant
Specific details regarding each of these items and directions for cleaning up both biohazardous and chemical spills are found in Tab 8 of the Quality America OSHA Safety Program Manual.
Posted by Quality America on February 16, 2007 | Comments (0)
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