Which action should you take if there is a chemical spill of a dental material?

• A. Continue work and wipe spill with paper towels.
• B. Ignore spill and continue.
• C. Stop work, evacuate area, wear PPE, follow MSDS, contain spill, and arrange cleanup.
• D. Dispose of spill in general waste.

Answer: (C)

When a chemical spill occurs, priority is given to safety and controlling the hazard. The right action is to stop work, evacuate or isolate the area if needed, put on the appropriate PPE, consult the material’s MSDS to understand the hazards and required precautions, contain the spill to prevent spread, and arrange for trained personnel to clean it up using the proper spill kit and disposal methods. This approach protects you and others from exposure, prevents contamination of surfaces and equipment, and ensures the material is disposed of correctly. Continuing work and wiping it up with towels can spread the chemical and miss essential steps, ignoring the spill creates ongoing risk, and disposing of it as general waste can violate regulations and cause contamination.