Chemo Spill Clean Up Regulations

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishes guidelines for the workplace that describe how to handle the cleanup of chemotherapy drug spills. Many state agencies classify chemo drugs as hazardous waste and regulate how to dispose of them. The material safety data sheets issued by the drug makers serve to tell those who interact with the drugs how to take precautions when dispensing them. Each site where the drugs are used produces its own guidelines.

OSHA

• OSHA first created guidelines for cytotoxic drugs in 1986 and updated the guidelines later to include other hazardous drugs that were coming on the market to treat cancer. The organization recommends that workplaces set up procedures to deal with spills and inadvertent releases of these chemicals. The guidelines distinguish between small and large spills and list specific steps to follow for each type. Small spills are less than five mililiters (slightly more than a teaspoon) and require that the person doing the cleanup wear a gown, double-layered latex gloves and splash goggles. Also, the person should wear a respirator if the spill involves a powder or a drug treatment that produces an aerosol. The directions also specify what types of containers to put the waste into, and even the kinds of containers for the broken glass and other sharp objects. All surfaces have to be cleaned three times with detergent and water.

State Agencies

• State environmental agencies usually oversee the disposal and handling of chemical wastes such as spilled chemotherapy drugs. For example, the State of Washington’s Department of Ecology lists specific wastes considered to be dangerous, and includes chemotherapy drugs along with all materials used in cleaning up spills of those drugs. The agency also lists wastes such as personal protective equipment and empty chemo drug containers as hazardous wastes.

Universities

• University hospitals often have chemotherapy treatment and research, and so they also must create regulations to specify what happens when a spill occurs. The University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers provides a cleanup kit that travels with its employees when they do chemotherapy treatments for home care patients. Once the home care worker has the spill cleaned up, she is required to call the university and report that she used the kit. The procedures are very similar to the OSHA standards requiring the worker to put on a gown, gloves and face mask and use a specially designed chemo cleanup bag.

  The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has an administrative guide for dealing with chemo spills that come into contact with a caregiver. The guidelines specify removing the protective equipment and immediately washing the skin with soap and water. A physician must examine the affected area. When the drug gets in the eye, the caregiver must first wash his eye with water and then use an eyewash specifically for that purpose.