If your laboratory is affected by flooding:
- Find the source of the water. If safe, shut the water off.
- If it is safe to shut down any equipment that could cause a dangerous electrical situation during a flood and use plastic film for covering equipment and desks if water or sewage is dripping onto them.
- Get help quickly. During work hours, contact your LS. Notify the users, responsible faculty member in charge of the flooding laboratory as soon as possible. He/she will assume responsibility as soon as he/she arrives.
- If foreign materials such as sewage, ceiling tiles, or leaking chemicals have contaminated the flood water, the situation should be assessed by hazardous material staff who can be contacted through Operation and Technical Services. The best method to clean up uncontaminated water is by using one water vacuum on the scene of the flood and another on the affected area below.
- After the cleanup, submit an accident report on LS/LSS.
OTHER EMERGENCIES
For other emergencies (such as Criminal Emergency) see SU Emergency Procedures Plandocument.
References
- Wilkes, G.; Cowan, E., Hydrofluoric Acid Burns, www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic804.htm (checked August 2006)
- Gates, B., Hydrofluoric Acid Safety, Harvard Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, May 2002.
- Guidelines for the Safe Use of Hydrofluoric Acid, University of Pittsburgh, September 2005, www.ehs.pitt.edu/chemhyg/GuideHydrofluoricAcid.pdf (checked August 2006).
- Guidelines For Using Hydrofluoric Acid, Desert Research Institute, Novermber 2004, http://safety.dri.edu/Hazards/HydrofluoricAcidGuidelines.pdf (checked August 2006)
- SU Emergency Procedures Plan (FOTS-S210-01-05-V01)
References and sources for information from the relevant websites and documentation of different universities, NGOs and government agencies used in the preparation of this website are provided at references.