Technical information

Centrifuge Standard Operating Procedure 9
4. SPILL AND ACCIDENT PROCEDURES
4.1 Accidents
If you notice anything unusual concerning centrifuge operation (smells, noises,
etc.) stop the centrifuge immediately and contact the Instrumentation
Technician.
All incidents must be reported to the Instrumentation Technician and if
applicable, a student’s supervisor. The Instrumentation Technician will insure
that all accidents, incidents and near misses are reported to the
Environmental/Occupational Health and Safety (EOHS) Office via the WLU
Employee Accident/Incident/Occupational Disease Report form
(www.wlu.ca/eohs/forms). To meet regulatory requirements, these forms must
be submitted to EOHS within 24 hours of occurrence, with the exception of
critical injuries, which must be reported immediately to the EOHS Office by
telephone. Critical injuries include any of the following; place life in jeopardy,
produce unconsciousness, result in substantial loss of blood, involve fracture of
a leg or arm but not a finger or toe, involve amputation of a leg, arm, hand or
foot, but not a finger or toe, consist of burns to a major portion of the body, or
cause the loss of sight in an eye.
Additional details regarding incident reporting can be found in the WLU
Accident Incident Procedure (www.wlu.ca/eohs).
4.2 Spills
4.2.1 Spills Inside the Centrifuge
Spills inside the centrifuge may occur from the failure of a tube or rotor. No
operation of the centrifuge is allowed until the spill is cleaned up.
2. Review the MSDS, if not done so before commencing the analysis, to
determine the protective equipment, spill cleanup, and disposal
protocols that are necessary.
3. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and contain the spilled
material first using an appropriate spill kit.
4. Report the spill to the Instrumentation Technician, who will advise
the user on the best way to clean up the spill.
5. Record the spill and cleanup procedure in the log book.
4.2.2 Spills Outside the Centrifuge
The WLU Laboratory Health and Safety Manual provides detailed instructions
for dealing with major and minor spills. Do not attempt to clean up a spill if
you have not been properly trained, or if you are unsure of the proper
procedures. Before using ANY hazardous materials, make sure you
understand the proper clean-up procedure. The Environmental/Occupational