From chemical burns and lethal toxins to explosions, hazardous chemical spills in the workplace pose a significant threat to the safety of workers. In this article, we’ll see how OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standards can help workplaces minimize risks through preparation and response training.
Preparing for Chemical Spills
Because chemical spills are often accidental and unpredictable, minimizing risk means being prepared — before things go wrong — to respond to an emergency when it arises. This is what OSHA calls an emergency action plan (EAP). OSHA’s HAZWOPER standards clearly lay out how EAPs should address evacuation, containment, and cleanup, as well as employee training, to ensure hazards are minimized and workers stay safe.
The HAZWOPER standards include training requirements for workers, depending on what their role will be in a chemical spill response. Non-emergency responders are workers who aren’t directly involved in hazardous chemical response. Their job is to get safe as quickly as possible by following their EAP guidelines, such as recognizing hazardous situations and determining if they should evacuate or shelter in place.
Emergency responders, on the other hand, are employees who must act to contain hazardous chemical spills. As such, they need more advanced and specialized training to use proper personal protective equipment (PPE), containment, and disposal techniques specific to the hazard — and then follow decontamination procedures once the spill is under control. It’s up to the employer to ensure that the proper PPE is available.
Responding to Chemical Spills
The HAZWOPER standards outline a structured response plan in three steps: evacuation, containment, and cleanup. Here’s an overview of what each step entails:
Evacuation and Shelter: If a chemical spill presents immediate risks, like toxic fumes or chemical fire, all non-emergency response workers should evacuate the area according to their EAP. When evacuation isn’t feasible, workers should shelter in place at a location designated in the EAP.
Containment: Emergency response workers with the proper PPE must contain the spill to ensure it doesn’t become more hazardous. This might include using absorbent materials like pads or booms, creating physical barriers to stop the flow of liquids, or using neutralizing agents on corrosive spills.
Cleanup and Disposal: Once the spill is contained, cleanup may involve neutralizing residual chemicals, absorbing remaining liquids, or decontaminating affected areas. To prevent further hazards (such as secondary exposures and environmental damage), the chemicals must be disposed of properly — meaning labeled, stored, and transported in compliance with relevant regulatory standards.
Additionally, depending on the state in which the accident occurred, the spill may need to be reported to the state and possibly the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
