Bodily Fluid Spill Cleanup SOP Template

1.Purpose

To protect crews and building occupants from exposure to bloodborne pathogens by containing, disinfecting and disposing of bodily fluid spills correctly.

2.Scope

Applies to contract cleaning crews responding to bodily fluid spills such as blood, vomit or urine in commercial buildings. Routine restroom and floor cleaning are covered by separate SOPs.

Definitions

Bloodborne pathogen

A disease-causing organism that can be carried in blood or certain other body fluids.

Spill kit

A ready-made kit with PPE, absorbent material, disinfectant and biohazard bags for cleaning a bodily fluid spill.

Biohazard waste

Waste contaminated with bodily fluids that must be bagged and disposed of separately from regular trash per local regulations.

3.Responsibilities

Cleaning Technician

Contains and cleans the spill using the spill kit and reports the incident once complete.

Site Supervisor

Confirms the area is closed off, checks the cleanup is complete, and arranges biohazard waste pickup.

Safety Coordinator

Trains crews on bloodborne pathogen exposure control and reviews incident reports.

RACI matrix

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

4.Materials and PPE

Materials, tools and systems

• →Bodily fluid spill kit
• →Absorbent powder or granules
• →Approved disinfectant labeled for bloodborne pathogens
• →Biohazard bags and ties
• →Wet floor or caution signage
• →Incident report form

Personal protective equipment

• →Disposable nitrile gloves, double-gloved
• →Eye and face protection
• →Fluid-resistant gown or apron
• →Shoe covers

5.Procedure

1. 5.1

   Secure the area

   Cleaning Technician

   Place caution signage and, where possible, physical barriers around the spill to keep people away, and stop foot traffic through the area immediately.

   Checkpoint: No one crosses the spill area before it is fully secured with signage or barriers.

2. 5.2

   Get the spill kit and put on PPE

   Cleaning Technician

   Retrieve the bodily fluid spill kit and put on double gloves, eye and face protection, and a fluid-resistant gown before approaching the spill.

   Warning: Never touch a bodily fluid spill without full PPE, even for a small amount.

3. 5.3

   Assess the spill

   Cleaning Technician

   Check the size of the spill and whether any sharps, such as broken glass or needles, are present before starting cleanup.

   Warning: If sharps are present, use the tongs or scoop from the spill kit; never pick them up by hand.

4. 5.4

   Contain and absorb the spill

   Cleaning Technician

   Cover the spill with absorbent powder or granules from the kit and let it solidify per the product's instructions before removal.

5. 5.5

   Remove solidified material

   Cleaning Technician

   Scoop the solidified material into a biohazard bag using the scraper provided in the kit, without touching it directly.

6. 5.6

   Disinfect the area

   Cleaning Technician

   Apply the approved disinfectant to the entire affected area and surrounding surfaces, holding the dwell time stated on the product label.

   Checkpoint: The disinfected area stays visibly wet for the full dwell time on the product label.

7. 5.7

   Wipe and rinse the surface

   Cleaning Technician

   Wipe the disinfected area clean with disposable cloths, then rinse with water if the surface or flooring requires it.

8. 5.8

   Bag contaminated materials

   Cleaning Technician

   Place all used cloths, absorbent material and disposable PPE into the biohazard bag and seal it securely.

9. 5.9

   Remove PPE safely

   Cleaning Technician

   Remove gloves, gown and eye protection in the order set out in the spill kit instructions to avoid touching contaminated surfaces, then wash hands thoroughly.

   Warning: Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after removing PPE, even if gloves showed no visible contamination.

10. 5.10

    Dispose of biohazard waste correctly

    Site Supervisor

    Place the sealed biohazard bag in the designated biohazard waste container or arrange pickup, following the site's disposal procedure and any local regulations.

11. 5.11

    Complete the incident report

    Cleaning Technician

    Fill out the incident report with the date, time, location, type of spill and who responded, and submit it to the safety coordinator.

12. 5.12

    Restock the spill kit

    Site Supervisor

    Check the spill kit contents used during the response and restock it so it is ready for the next incident.

6.Quality checks

• →The affected area is disinfected for the full dwell time before being reopened.
• →All contaminated materials are bagged as biohazard waste, not regular trash.
• →PPE is removed in the correct order and hands are washed immediately after.
• →An incident report is completed for every bodily fluid spill response.

7.Records

• →Incident report form
• →Spill kit restock log
• →Bloodborne pathogen exposure control training records

8.KPIs

• →Time from spill report to area being secured
• →Percentage of incidents with a completed incident report
• →Spill kit availability across sites
• →Exposure incidents involving cleaning staff

9.Common mistakes

• →Cleaning a spill without full PPE because it looks small.
• →Picking up broken glass or sharps by hand instead of using tools from the kit.
• →Disposing of contaminated material in regular trash instead of a biohazard bag.
• →Skipping the incident report after handling a spill.

10.Revision history