To help in the event of an emergency, there are several postings which are required to be in your lab which give instructions.  First, the doors of all laboratories where radioactive material is used or stored must be posted with a "Caution, Radioactive Material" sign which also displays the radiation symbol.  In addition to this sign, a "No Eating, Drinking or Smoking" posting as well as a "Restricted Area" sign should be posted at the door.  These signs alert staff and auxiliary services to enter with caution.  Inside the lab an "Emergency Procedures" sign should be posted near the phone.  This sign contains the daytime phone number of the Radiation Safety Office as well as pager numbers for after hours.  The sign also gives the procedure to follow in the event of a spill.  Along with the "Emergency Procedures" posting, a list of emergency phone numbers of the principal investigator and alternate contact must be posted in the event of a building emergency.
          Within the lab it is very important to post areas of radioactive material use.  Hoods, refrigerators and sinks used in conjunction with isotope should be posted with a "Caution Radioactive Material" sign.  This informs others in the lab that caution should be taken when working with this equipment.  All containers of radioactive material must bear a label which contains the radiation symbol, the isotope, activity and assay date.  All radioactive waste containers must be appropriately labeled displaying the radiation symbol so that it will not be confused with non-radioactive waste.  This alerts housekeeping which "trash" they can remove.  As soon as the waste containers come into your lab they should be labeled with the principal investigator's last name and the isotope.  In the event of a spill the first thing to do is notify the persons in the area that a spill has occurred.  If you think that you can clean up the spill without assistance from Radiation Safety and the spill is less than 1 mCi in activity and 1 liter in volume you should follow the directions for a minor spill:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1.     NOTIFY: Notify persons in the area that a spill has occurred.
2.     PREVENT THE SPREAD: Cover the spill with absorbent paper.
3.     CLEAN UP: Use disposable gloves and remote handling tongs.  Carefully fold the absorbent paper.  Insert into a
        plastic bag and dispose of it in the radioactive waste container.  Also insert all other contaminated materials such
        as disposable gloves into the plastic bag.
4.     SURVEY: With a low-range, thin-window GM survey meter, check the area around the spill, hands and clothing
        for contamination if appropriate.  Otherwise, perform wipe tests to determine that the area is clean.
5.     REPORT: Report the incident to the Radiation Safety Office.

         If you do not think that you can clean up the spill without assistance from Radiation Safety or if the spill is greater than 1 mCi in activity or 1 liter in volume you should follow the directions for a major spill as shown in the "Emergency Procedures" posting:

1.     CLEAR THE AREA: Notify all persons not involved in the spill to vacate the room.
2.     PREVENT THE SPREAD: Cover the spill with absorbent material, but do not attempt to clean it up.  Confine
        the movement of all personnel potentially contaminated to prevent the spread of contamination.
3.     SHIELD THE SOURCE: If possible, the spill should be shielded, but only if it can be done without further
        contamination and without significantly increasing your radiation exposure.
4.     CLOSE THE ROOM: Leave the room and lock the door to prevent entry.
5.     CALL FOR HELP: Notify the Radiation Safety Office immediately.
6.     PERSONNEL DECONTAMINATION: Contaminated clothing should be removed and stored for further evaluation
        by Radiation Safety personnel.  If the spill is on the skin, flush thoroughly and then wash with mild soap and
        lukewarm water.