Mercury Spills
If mercury spills in your school, will you be ready?
Click here for a poster [PDF - 4MB] reminding you of spill clean-up basics.
If mercury spills, it can turn into poisonous vapors that can have dangerous health effects.
If there’s been a spill at your school:
Follow these steps [PDF - 280KB] to keep your students and staff safe — and to prevent mercury from spreading throughout the school.
After a spill:
Use these talking points [PDF - 572KB]to help you communicate with parents and other members of the community.
Use these example letters to send home to parents following a mercury spill at school.
Sample letter parents and caregivers [DOC - 21KB]
Sample letter testing shoes and personal items [DOC - 18KB]
Every school needs a spill kit.
Find out what you need to put together a spill kit [PDF - 221KB] for your school.
Remember, it pays to be prepared.
Make sure you have easy access to local resources that can help in case of a spill — fill out this contact sheet [PDF - 174KB] and post it in your school today.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
- Mercury Releases and Spills
Environmental Protection Agency - Mercury Quick Facts for School Nurses [PDF - 1.9MB]
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Health Effects of Mercury Exposure [PDF - 1.1MB]
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Information for Health Care Providers [PDF - 1.4MB]
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Hiring a clean-up contractor [PDF - 713KB]
Michigan Department of Community Health
- Page last reviewed: July 1, 2015
- Page last updated: August 11, 2016
- Content source: