If you have a radioactive spill, but cannot decide if it is a major or minor one, call the followingÌýas shown below.
Response Personnel
Daytime: call themario.badillo [at] mcgill.ca ( Radiation Safety Officer )(RSO), at 4563
Outside work hours or if RSO is unavailable:
Â鶹AV Downtown Campus Security at 3000
MacDonald Campus Security at 7777
Minor Spills
Minor spills involve less than 100 exemption quantities of a radioisotope.
- Notify those in immediate area.
- Limit access, prevent contamination spread.
- Survey personnel before exiting.
- Cover spill with absorbent material (unless liquid is flammable or oxidizing).
- Wipe test or survey for residual contamination as appropriate.
- Wash affected areas, then resurvey.
- Remove contaminated clothing and footwear.
- Package and label clean up materials for disposal.
- Record spill details and contamination monitoring results.
- Adjust inventory and waste records as appropriate.
- Notify Radiation Safety Officer (RSO).
Major Spills
Major spills involve more than 100 exemption quantities, or contamination of personnel, or release of volatile material.
- Persons not involved in the spill should leave the area immediately.
- Limit the movement of contaminated personnel until they are monitored.
- If a spill occurs in a laboratory, leave the fume hood running to minimize release of volatile radioactive materials to adjacent rooms or hallways.
- Close off and secure the spill area to prevent entry.
- Post warning signs.
- Notify the RSO immediately.
- RSO and the spill response team handles this type of spill.
- They will package and label clean up materials for disposal.
- They will survey the personnel before exiting.
- They will remove contaminated clothing and footwear, wash affected areas, then resurvey.
- They will survey and decontaminate the spill area.
- They will arrange for any necessary bioassay measurements.
- They will coordinate evacuation to prevent spread of contamination.
- They will select the appropriate PPE, shielding and absorbent spill materials like absorbent paper or spill pillows if the liquid is not a flammable or oxidizing agent.
- At the end of clean up procedures, RSO will submit a report to the CNSC.
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