{"id":183,"date":"2020-01-03T08:39:35","date_gmt":"2020-01-03T16:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/?p=183"},"modified":"2023-11-05T13:57:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-05T21:57:59","slug":"the-dos-and-donts-of-cleaning-up-a-liquid-mercury-spill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/the-dos-and-donts-of-cleaning-up-a-liquid-mercury-spill\/","title":{"rendered":"The Do’s and Don’ts of Cleaning Up a Liquid Mercury Spill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everything you need to know about mercury spill kits and safe clean up<\/h2>\n
\"mercury

Mercury may be in thermometers, electrical components or dental fillings<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Also referred to as\u00a0quicksilver<\/em>, liquid mercury is a highly toxic chemical that\u2019s often found in a variety of workplace devices. Just a few examples include thermometers, barometers, and float valves. Often electric components, like switches and relays, contain mercury. It also remains in use in some fluorescent lighting and dental amalgam fillings. As well as scientific research laboratories, of course.<\/p>\n

Have you ever seen this fascinating liquid metal in a school science lab? If so, you’ll remember it’s a completely unique substance to observe. It certainly behaves unlike most fluids\u00a0or\u00a0<\/em>metals at room temperature.<\/p>\n

But, it’s due to these unique characteristics that mercury spills require a different clean up approach. In the event of a spill, it\u2019s important to follow proper mercury\u00a0cleanup procedure. Otherwise, there\u2019s a greater risk of mercury poisoning for anyone who comes into contact with it. Poisoning can occur through direct skin contact, absorption, vapor inhalation, or, ingestion.<\/p>\n

Even minimum exposure to mercury can be deadly. Which is why specialty equipment is necessary for mercury spill control and clean up. That’s because this silver liquid metal easily breaks into small droplets and “scatters”. Using a mercury spill kit to absorb, neutralize and suppress mercury vapor is essential to minimize danger.<\/p>\n

So to learn more about the do\u2019s and don\u2019ts of cleaning up a liquid mercury spill, keep reading.<\/p>\n

Don’t: Use a vacuum cleaner on mercury spills<\/h3>\n
\"pouring<\/a>

Liquid mercury has unique properties. It rolls over surfaces and breaks into droplets<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Never <\/em>attempt to clean a liquid mercury spill using a vacuum cleaner. A vacuum’s suction pressure will force microscopic mercury particles into the air rather than containing it. This results in higher mercury exposure to anyone in the surrounding area.<\/p>\n

A vacuum cleaner might seem like a good idea initially, but it\u2019s far too dangerous to use with mercury. Spreading the mercury into the air creates a significantly more dangerous hazmat environment. So, keep the vacuum turned off!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t: Sweep mercury with a broom<\/h3>\n

Another common mistake when cleaning liquid mercury spills is sweeping it with a broom. As previously stated, mercury possesses unique characteristics. One of which is the ability to \u2018ball\u2019 up rather than spread evenly, like water or water-based substances.<\/p>\n

If you attempt to sweep liquid mercury with a broom, chances are you\u2019ll only spread it around. Rather than having just a few large drops bunched together, you\u2019ll have dozens or even hundreds of smaller drops scattered across the floor.<\/p>\n

Do: Wear protective gear during mercury spill clean up<\/h3>\n
\"ppe

Thick latex or nitrile gloves and goggles are essentials when working with mercury spills<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Always wear protective gear before attempting to clean up a mercury spill. Due to the high toxicity of liquid mercury, even skin contact is toxic. Don a pair of thick, professional-grade latex gloves along with protective safety goggles.<\/p>\n

And remember that even with this PPE gear, you should avoid direct contact with liquid mercury.<\/p>\n

Do: Use a squeegee for mercury cleanup<\/h3>\n

If you aren\u2019t supposed to use a vacuum cleaner or broom, how exactly do you clean liquid mercury spills? Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offer helpful\u00a0instructions about how to\u00a0<\/strong>safely clean up mercury spills<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

For example, it recommends using a squeegee or piece of cardboard to push mercury into a single pile. Next, use an eyedropper to transfer it into a damp paper towel. You can then place the mercury-filled paper towel into a sealed plastic bag. Lastly, contact your local health or fire department to have them properly dispose of the liquid mercury biohazard.<\/p>\n

Mercury clean up kits 101<\/h3>\n
\"mercury<\/a>

Keep a mercury spill kit on hand for safe clean up of this hazardous material<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

If your workplace has any equipment that contains mercury, having a specialized spill kit on site is a no brainer. Next, we’ll outline some of the basics about clean up kits and safely dealing with a mercury spill.<\/p>\n

What’s in a mercury spill clean up kit?<\/h4>\n

A mercury spill kit contains all the essentials to safely clean, decontaminate, and dispose of the hazardous waste. The main content is typically a mercury\u00a0absorbent, encapsulating, or amalgamation powder. Clean up tools will include a scraper, wipers, dust pan and disposal bags. Some types of kits may contain things like chemical sponges, aspirator bottle, or spatulas. All kits will contain appropriate PPE, such as thick nitrile gloves and goggles.<\/p>\n

How do I use a mercury spill\u00a0kit?<\/h4>\n

First, put on safety\u00a0goggles and gloves. Next, sprinkle absorbency powder around the spill site to completely cover the mercury. The mercury\u00a0absorbent powder bonds to, and transforms, droplets into a solid material like zinc amalgam. It also acts as a vapor suppressor to limit exposure to this toxic substance.<\/p>\n

After a few minutes, sweep up the stabilized mercury using a hand broom and dust pan. Decontaminate the spill surface area with mercury clean up wipers to remove any residues. Finally, transfer all used kit hazmat materials into a disposal bag and seal it with a twist tie.<\/p>\n

Shop chemical spill kits and more at AbsorbentsOnline.com<\/h3>\n
\"red<\/a>

We offer a wide variety of spill kits to help keep your workplace safe<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

We offer a wide range of\u00a0spill containment<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and hazmat clean up products for quick order.<\/p>\n

Browse our\u00a0mobile spill kits<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0battery\u00a0<\/strong>acid spill<\/strong>\u00a0kits<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0indicator powder neutralizers<\/strong><\/a>. Find spill control products like\u00a0containment berms<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0absorbents<\/strong><\/a>, and\u00a0wipers<\/strong><\/a>. We also stock\u00a0containment pallets<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>for\u00a0IBC<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>totes<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and overpacks. Not to mention a wide selection of\u00a0safety cabinets<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0safety cans<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

Contact us<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for advice about anything from storing hazardous materials, to spill containment.<\/p>\n

This is a revision to a post with an original publish date of October 17, 2013<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Everything you need to know about mercury spill kits and safe clean up Also referred to as\u00a0quicksilver, liquid mercury is a highly toxic chemical that\u2019s often found in a variety of workplace devices. Just a few examples include thermometers, barometers, and float valves. Often electric components, like switches and relays, contain mercury. It also remains […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"7","_seopress_titles_title":"How to Clean Up a Mercury Spill - OSHA | AbsorbentsOnline","_seopress_titles_desc":"Liquid mercury is highly toxic. Follow AbsorbentsOnline's OSHA-compliant instructions on safely cleaning up a mercury spill in your business or warehouse.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[160,32,45,130,140],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13998,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183\/revisions\/13998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}