Have a Plan When It Comes to Hazardous Med Spills

You can help prevent dangerous exposures from hazardous drug (HD) spills (chemo, etc).

HD spills require immediate attention. Follow your hospital’s policy around what to do when an HD spill occurs.

Use the SPILL(ED) acronym to help you remember: Secure the site, Protect yourself, Inspect the spill, Lay down a barrier, Lay down absorbents, Extract the mess, and Dispose of the waste.

Alert your colleagues near the spill...and advise pregnant women to leave the area. Call for additional help if needed (large spills, etc).

Spill kits generally have gowns, gloves, goggles, face shields, and shoe covers to protect you...absorbent pads or towels...a dustpan or scoop...bags to dispose of hazardous waste...and instructions for use.

Be aware, cleaning HD spills requires wearing a NIOSH-certified respirator to protect your lungs against airborne HD particles. Coordinate respirator training and fit testing if needed.

After garbing, remove broken glass fragments using the scoop and place them in a sharps container. Use pads or towels to absorb liquids, going from the outer edges of the spill toward the center.

Rinse the area with water...then use cleaning materials (detergent, sodium hypochlorite, and a neutralizer) to deactivate, decontaminate, and clean. Rinse several times again once finished.

Dispose of all contaminated material (towels, gloves, etc) in sealed bags and place into the proper container. Wash hands with soap and water.

Help ensure the area gets re-cleaned by qualified personnel (housekeeping, environmental services, etc). Finally, document the spill...and assist your pharmacist with getting a replacement spill kit.

Know what to do if you or a colleague comes in direct contact with chemo or other HDs.

Remove contaminated clothing immediately, wash area with soap and water, and rinse thoroughly. Flush eyes with water or isotonic eyewash if necessary. Seek medical attention...and fill out an exposure form.

Take steps to decrease the chance of spills. For example, your hospital may implement use of hard-sided containers when transporting chemo instead of carrying chemo bags alone.

Some hospitals may even require staff to carry the spill kit with them when delivering chemo or other hazardous meds to units.

See our resource, Handling Hazardous Meds, for more on cleaning requirements, assessment of risk, and personal protective equipment...and our tech tutorial, Hazardous Drugs 101, for tips on handling HDs.

• FAQ: Handling Hazardous Meds
  
• Technician Tutorial: Hazardous Drugs 101