Any organic peroxide spill should be attended to immediately to avoid the risks of chemical reactions which may result in fire or explosion and lead to possible contamination of soil and/or water.

Below, we provide eight spill response tips every organisation dealing with Organic Peroxides should consider.

• Safety showers or eye wash stations should be accessible to workers within ten seconds of contamination. This means you must think carefully about where organic peroxide is used in relation to emergency safety equipment.

• Liquid spills can normally be dealt with by spreading an inert absorbent material such as sodium bicarbonate directly on the spill. This must be followed up with wetting of the mixture with water.

• Materials such as sawdust, peat moss or clay granules should not be used.

• Once contained and wetted down, the spill should be swept up using non-sparking tools and placed in polyethylene bags for disposal. These bags should also be wetted down with water and disposed of immediately by an approved disposal company. If stored for any length of time, the recovered materials should be out of direct sunlight in a cool, well ventilated location.

• After all the material has been picked up, wash down the spill area with surfactant and water to remove any traces of organic peroxide. Allow for sufficient ventilation to aid in the removal of fumes that may be present.

Why not find out further information on the safe working practise of organic peroxides?