Janet,

I can see your point if you are talking about 37% formaldehyde, but I 
have dealt with spills of 5 gallons of 10% formalin without much hassle. 
We did evacuate the lab. The most important thing is to have several 
respirators on hand along with enough absorbant material to handle a 
spill of that size.

Tim Morken, B.A., EMT(MSA), HTL(ASCP) 
Infectious Disease Pathology
Centers for Disease Control
MS-G32
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333
USA

email: tim9@cdc.gov
       timcdc@hotmail.com

FAX:  (404)639-3043




----Original Message Follows----
From: "Anatech Ltd." <anatech@net-link.net>
To: HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Formalin spills
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 11:13:31 -0400

On March 24, Jennifer Saunders requested information regarding the 
cleanup
of formalin spills of various sizes.

Your first step is to determine what you consider a small vs. a large
spill.  In doing so, you must take into account your circumstances:  How
large is your laboratory?  Is it independently located, or is it part of 
a
hospital?  What resources do you have in terms of manpower, finances, 
time,
and chemical expertise?  How close is the nearest community Hazmat 
Response
Team (usually part of the local Fire Dept.)?

As one having had experience with formalin spills (either directly or
indirectly), I strongly suggest that you keep the "small" spill 
definition
at less than one gallon.  Frankly, I think for a biomedical laboratory a
one quart limit is more realistic.  I have spoken with hospital labs 
which
have spilled this amount; they have had to evacuate not only the lab, 
but
also neighboring rooms on the same floor, because they were not 
prepared.
A quart or less of formalin can be easily be treated with a formalin
detoxifying agent such as Formalex (S&S Company of Georgia, 
800-332-2594).
Spill control procedures are included with the product.

Unless your facility is ready for a major investment in time, training, 
and
responsibility, the best option for larger spills is to evacuate the 
area
and call the local Hazmat Response Team.  If your safety officer wants 
to
handle large spills with in-house personnel, specific training of a 
Hazmat
Team is required, as designated by OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard (29CFR1910.120).

Even for small spills, keep in mind that there are OSHA regulations with
which you must comply.  The Laboratory Standard (Occupational Exposure 
to
Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories, 29CFR1910.1450) requires a spill
control plan, and for employees to be trained in spill procedures.  For
non-laboratories (the rest of the hospital, for instance) these same
requirements are contained in the Hazard Communication Standard
(29CFR1910.1200).  For both laboratory and nonlaboratory facilities, the
OSHA standards on Personal Protective Equipment (29CFR1910.132 -138, 
which
includes eye, hand, and respiratory protection) and Formaldehyde
(29CFR1910.1048) must also be taken into account.

Whether large spills or small, preparedness is the key.  Plans must
devised, written, communicated to the employees, and practiced.

Janet Dapson





Janet C. Dapson
ANATECH LTD.
1020 Harts Lake Road
Battle Creek, MI  49015
800-262-8324 or 616-964-6450
Fax 616-964-8084
E-mail anatech@net-link.net









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