Spillages, exposure incidents and first response

Optical support staff must be able to respond when a substance is spilled, leaked, splashed or found where it should not be. The goal is not for everyone to clean every incident but to protect people, identify the hazard where it is safe to do so, follow local procedure, escalate and report.

Immediate priorities

• Protect people first: move patients, customers, children and staff away if needed.
• Do not rush in: identify the substance and check the local procedure where it is safe to do so.
• Use correct equipment: spill kit, PPE, ventilation, cleaning method and waste route must match the hazard.
• Escalate early: especially for unknown substances, strong fumes, eye or skin exposure, large spills or symptoms.
• Record and report: spills, near misses, missing labels, exposure and symptoms should be reported clearly.

Exposure incidents

If a substance gets in the eye, contacts skin, is swallowed, is breathed in, or enters broken skin, follow the local first-aid and exposure procedure immediately. Start any immediate first-aid action required by the label or local procedure, such as rinsing exposed skin or eyes, and do not delay urgent help while paperwork is found. Check the label, SDS or local COSHH file where possible. Seek urgent help if there are symptoms, eye exposure, breathing difficulty or uncertainty.

In a COSHH incident, protect people first, then follow the product and local procedure. Do not improvise around unknown exposure.