ALERT & DON PPE: Alert nearby staff. Don gloves, laboratory gown, and eye protection / face shield before approaching.
ABSORB BULK SPILL: Cover spill perimeter to center with paper towels or absorbent granules saturated with disinfectant. Discard into biohazard bag.
CLEAN SURFACE: Clean area with aqueous detergent/hypochlorite solution and wipe with fresh paper towels.
DISINFECT (1% Working Bleach): Apply freshly prepared 1:9 dilution household bleach (0.5%–1% sodium hypochlorite) until glistening wet. Allow 10–20 min contact time, then blot dry.
DISPOSE: Place all waste into rigid biohazard bag; wash hands with soap and water.
PROCEDURE BLarge Spills & Centrifuge Accidents
LARGE SPILL / CONCENTRATED MATERIAL: Flood perimeter-to-center with 1 part household bleach + 5 parts water (≈1% sodium hypochlorite). Cover with paper towels. Allow 20–30 minutes soak time before cleanup.
CENTRIFUGE TUBE BREAKAGE (§5.2.4): • Turn off power immediately.
• WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES with lid closed to allow dangerous aerosols to settle.
• Wear puncture-resistant household gloves.
• Remove broken glass using forceps (never fingers).
• Decontaminate buckets and rotor with 1:9 bleach for 20 min.
OCCURRENCE REPORT: Notify CMT/LQM and log on F-QM-010-A-V0.
🩸 Part 2: Needlestick, Sharps Injury & Splash Emergency First Aid (§5.8)IMMEDIATE ACTION MANDATORY
FIRST AID 1Needlestick / Puncture Injury
REMOVE SHARP SAFELY: Discard needle immediately into puncture-resistant sharps container. Never recap, bend, or shear needles by hand.
WASH THE WOUND: Wash the wound with soap and copious running water; allow brief bleeding; do not squeeze or scrub.
COVER THE WOUND: Cover the wound with sterile gauze or an adhesive bandage.
⛔ CRITICAL SAFETY WARNING (STOP): DO NOT squeeze the puncture wound. DO NOT scrub aggressively with stiff brushes. DO NOT pour concentrated bleach, alcohol, or harsh caustics directly into open puncture wounds.
FIRST AID 2Eye Splash / Mucosal Exposure
IMMEDIATE EYEWASH / WATER FLUSH: Proceed directly to the eyewash station or clean running water tap. Hold eyelids open with clean fingers.
FLUSH FOR FULL 15 MINUTES: Irrigate eyes and mucous membranes continuously and copiously with clean water or sterile normal saline for at least 15 minutes without stopping.
REMOVE CONTACT LENSES: Remove contact lenses during irrigation if present and easy to remove.
⏱ EMERGENCY PEP REFERRAL WINDOW
REPORT TO ER WITHIN < 2 HOURS
Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (HIV / Hepatitis B) efficacy decreases sharply after 2 hours. Proceed to ER immediately after first aid!
Normal Working Hours: Immediately notify the Chief Medical Technologist / Laboratory Quality Manager (or Pathologist) → Accompanied to Emergency Room / Employee Health Clinic for clinical evaluation, baseline serology (HBsAg, Anti-HBs), and PEP initiation. After Hours / Night Duty: Perform immediate first aid → Report to 24-Hr Nursing Supervisor → Proceed directly to ER for emergency treatment → Complete Occurrence Report Form on next working day. Documentation: Log complete incident chronology on Occurrence Report Form (F-QM-010-A-V0) and retain in personnel health records.
Prepared by: Chief Medical Technologist Signature/Date: _______________________