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For any emergency, including fires, chemical spills, injuries, accidents, explosions, and medical emergencies, dial 911 from any KAUST landline, including blue-light phones located in common areas throughout the campus. If a KAUST landline is unavailable or inaccessible during an emergency, dial 012-808-0911 from a mobile phone. The 911 Dispatch Center will send appropriate responders (Fire, Security, and/or Medical) to your location.
Each laboratory should include its own protocol for emergency situations as part of its Laboratory Safety Plan.
KAUST policy is such that individuals are not supposed to fight fires; but that those who choose to do so may fight small, incipient stage fires (no bigger than a wastepaper basket) as long as they have been trained in the proper use of fire extinguishers. If you have been trained in the use of a fire extinguisher, fight the fire from a position where you can escape, and only if you are confident that you will be successful in extinguishing the fire.
In the event of injury or illness where medical assistance is needed, contact 911 from a KAUST landline or 012-808-0911 from a mobile phone. KAUST Emergency Medical Services will provide ambulance transport, if necessary. Follow these tips:
Protect the victim from further injury or harm by removing any persistent threat to the victim or by removing the victim to a safe place if needed. However, do not move the victim unnecessarily (as this may cause further injury). Do not delay in obtaining trained medical assistance if it is safe to do so;
Provide first aid until help arrives if you have appropriate training and equipment, and it is safe to do so;
Send someone outside to escort emergency responders to the appropriate location, if possible.
KAUST has fully trained emergency responders on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Injured personnel are encouraged to use this service by calling 911 from a KAUST landline or 012-808-0911 from a mobile phone.
First aid kits should be available to all laboratory personnel. First aid kits can be obtained at the Chemical Warehouse. It is the responsibility of each center or laboratory to have the appropriate first aid kit for the likely risks occurring in that work area. A responsible person should be should be designated to maintain the kit and properly trained individuals should be available to administer first aid, if necessary. First aid training classes may be arranged through the HSE Department.
-Be kept in sanitary condition.
-Include the following personal protective equipment:
When a chemical spill occurs, it is necessary to take prompt and appropriate action. The type of response to a spill will depend on the quantity of the chemical spilled and the severity of the hazards associated with the chemical. The first action to take is to alert others in your lab or work area that a spill has occurred. Then you must determine if the spill can be safely cleaned up by laboratory staff without the help of outside responders.
NOTE: YOU SHOULD ONLY ATTEMPT TO CLEAN UP INCIDENTAL CHEMICAL SPILLS IF YOU ARE TRAINED, HAVE THE PROPER SPILL CLEANUP MATERIALS AND PERSONEL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE, AND ARE COMFORTABLE DOING SO.
KAUST has fully trained emergency responders on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Injured personnel are encouraged to use this service by calling 911 from a KAUST landline or 012-808-0911 from a mobile phone.
A spill is considered incidental (or, minor) if the criteria below are met.
The spill is a small quantity of a known chemical;
No gases or vapors are present that require respiratory protection;
Spill clean-up materials and equipment are immediately available;
Necessary proper personal protective (PPE) equipment is immediately available;
You understand the hazards posed by the spilled chemical;
You know how to clean up the spill;
You feel comfortable cleaning up the spill.
A major spill is any chemical spill for which the researcher determines they need outside assistance to safely clean up the spill.
The KAUST fire department provides a 24/7 hazardous material response service. If there is any doubt about safely cleaning up a chemical spill, call 911 from a KAUST landline or 012-808-0911 from a mobile phone.
Alert people in the immediate area of the spill and evacuate the area;
If an explosion hazard is present, do not unplug, or turn electrical equipment on or off – doing so can result in a spark and ignition source;
Confine the hazard by closing doors while leaving the room;
Use eyewash or safety showers as needed to rinse spilled chemicals off people or yourself;
Evacuate any nearby rooms that may be affected. If the hazard will affect the entire building, then evacuate the entire building by pulling the fire alarm;
Notify the Fire Department by calling 911 from a KAUST phone or 012-808-0911 from a mobile phone. Always call from a safe location;
Make a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for spilled material available to responders.
Spill kits must be available in each laboratory where hazardous chemicals are used or kept. Spill clean-up kits suitable for responding to typical laboratory spills are available from the Chemical Warehouse. Alternatively, you may prepare your own spill kit.
A spill kit should contain the following items:
Spill pillows/solvent absorbent
Acid/base neutralizer
5 kg (10 lbs) of calcium carbonate or calcium bicarbonate – for HF spills
Dustpan
Broom or brush
Plastic bags
Waste labels
Rubber gloves (check chemical compatibility before use)
Rubber boots or shoe covers
Chemical splash goggles
The purpose of the KAUST Building Emergency Evacuation Program is to provide you with the necessary plans, procedures, training and equipment for the safe and efficient evacuation of premises in the event of an Emergency Evacuation at work. The Building Evacuation Plan will:
All occupants of the building, at the time of an Emergency Evacuation, are affected including: Persons working/studying in the building. Persons visiting the building for whatever reason.
This section identifies the roles and responsibilities of any person/department that is involved in the provision of a Building Emergency Evacuation Plan.
