Medical School | Radioactive Spill

Immediately report all incidents, injuries, and potential exposures to your Principal Investigator (PI) and for compliance purposes, report all chemical, biological, hazardous gas and radioactive incidents using the Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) hotline at (310) 825-9797.

On the body

Remove all contaminated clothing, dispose in a biohazard bag or decontaminate using bleach
Ensure your shoes are not contaminated with hazardous material to prevent spreading outside of the immediate area
Wash the exposed area thoroughly with soap and water for 20 minutes
Obtain medical attention, if necessary.

In your eye

Immediately rinse the eyeball and inner surface of eyelid with water for 20 minutes (use faucet or eye wash)
Hold eye open so your eyelids are washed thoroughly
Obtain medical attention
Report incident to your Principal Investigator (PI).

Minor

Alert people in immediate area
Contact radiation safety officer at (310) 206-4633
Wear PPE (safety goggles, disposable gloves, shoe covers and long-sleeve lab coat)
For liquid spills, place absorbent paper towels over it. For solid spills, place damp towels over it
Use forceps to place used towels in a plastic bag, then dispose of them in a radioactive waste box
Monitor area, hands, and shoes for contamination with an appropriate survey meter or method. Repeat until the contamination is no longer detected.

Major

Isolate all potentially contaminated personnel in one area until they have been monitored and confirmed to be free of contamination
Contact radiation safety officer at (310) 206-4633
Close the doors to prevent entrance into the spill area
Have a person knowledgeable of the incident report it.

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