u/Hot_Initiative3950

We had a small sulfuric acid spill in our lab last week, maybe 50mL on the bench. It took about three minutes to figure out what to do because nobody could remember the specific neutralization protocol and the spill kit didn't have clear instructions for acid versus base versus organic solvents.

In those three minutes, the acid etched the bench surface. One student panicked and tried to wipe it with a paper towel, spreading it further. Another reached for the sodium bicarbonate but wasn't sure how much to use because the container just says "general purpose neutralizer" without any guidance.

We're a chemistry lab. We work with hazardous chemicals every day. The fact that a simple bench spill turned into a chaotic scramble is embarrassing. I know we should have written decontamination protocols for every class of chemical we handle and they don't exist.

I'm building them now. Beyond the obvious acid/base/organic categories, what scenarios do your labs have written procedures for?