All authorized project personnel should be familiar with the applicable parts of Chapter 18 of the Radiation Safety Manual, which contains detailed information about radiation incidents and emergencies.  Spills involving small quantities of radioactive material should be handled as follows:

• NOTIFY others in the room or area of the spill.  Instruct personnel in the room at the time of the spill to evacuate the immediate area, but to remain within the area to prevent the spread of contamination.
• CONTAIN the spill.  Wear a lab coat, disposable laboratory gloves, and other appropriate protective clothing.  Apply absorbent material such as paper towels, tissues, or absorbent pads to soak up liquids.  If the material is a solid that could become airborne, cover with a protective barrier such as a tray, empty beaker, or kraft paper.  If appropriate, close doors and windows and turn off ventilation (e.g., hoods) that could cause material to become airborne.
• DECONTAMINATE AND MONITOR personnel and the area as follows:
• Monitor all potentially contaminated personnel with a survey meter in a low background area.  Use appropriate methods of contamination control if contamination is detected.  Monitor for H-3 (tritium) and Fe-55 by wiping the surface being monitored with a small piece of filter paper or a cotton swab and counting in a liquid scintillation counter.  (H-3 and Fe-55 cannot be detected with portable survey meters.)
• If contaminated clothing is detected, it must be removed, bagged, and tagged as soon as possible.  If skin or hair contamination is detected, follow the decontamination  procedures in Section 18.3.4 of the UIC Radiation Safety Manual.
• Permit only those individuals necessary for the clean-up in the area.
• Wear appropriate protective apparel (e.g., gloves, lab coat, coveralls, shoe covers, etc.)
• Monitor areas that could be contaminated with a survey meter.  If the background is too high, wipe the surface being monitored with a small piece of filter paper or a cotton swab across and count with the geiger counter in a low background area.  For H-3 (tritium) and Fe-55, monitor by taking wipes and counting them in a liquid scintillation counter.
• Decontaminate the areas of greatest contamination first.  Work from the edge of the spill (area of lower concentration) towards the center (area of higher concentration).  Place all contaminated supplies in plastic bags and properly dispose of them in radioactive waste containers.
• Frequently monitor hands, shoes, clothing, and exposed skin during decontamination.  Washing gloves while being worn may prevent the spread of contamination and will minimize the number of glove changes needed.