Annual Refresher

Laboratory Users Must…. Read & follow guidelines in the Chemical Hygiene Plan, Hazardous Communication Manual, the MSDS, and Chemical Labels. That undergraduates cannot work alone on weekends or after-hours Never pipette by mouth Wash hand & arms before leaving lab Tie back long hair USPSNL has an Occupational Medical Surveillance program to monitor your health over long term. It is a confidential and voluntary program

Chemical Common Sense Maintain labels on incoming containers Date the chemical bottles as they come in Do not remove or deface labels Replace torn or defaced labels Label secondary containers immediately, even if it contains just water

Chemical Storage Store chemicals in compatible groups. Keep acids away from bases, and oxidizers away from solvents. Separate groups in barriers Store corrosives below eye level In laboratory, store only what you will use during the immediate future, limit quantities to 4 liters and under

Chemical Storage Use secondary containment (plastic trays or bins)

Separate incompatible chemicals keep oxidizers away from flammables keep acids away from bases keep acids away from cyanide salts The biggest incompatibilities to keep in mind are:

Storage of Corrosive Storage concerns: Store strong mineral acids separately from other materials Use secondary containment if a corrosive storage cabinet isn’t available Store nitric acid separately Store perchloric acid separately Store organic acids (combustible) with other organic/flammable liquids Keep sodium bicarbonate on hand for spills

Oxidizers Provide a source of oxygen and will initiate or promote combustion Gases: fluorine, chlorine, ozone, nitrous oxide, oxygen Liquids: hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, perchloric acid, bromine Solids: nitrites, nitrates, perchlorates, peroxides, chromates, dichromates, picrates, permanganates, hypochlorites, bromates, iodates, chlorites, chlorates Oxidizers must be stored separately from other materials

Fire started in a trash can with sodium metal (water reactive) and wet paper towels.

Heat from burning plastic trash transferred into metal storage cabinet under sink. Bottle on right exploded, sheared off tops of other bottles of flammable liquids. Water pipes broke under sink, causing flooding.

Chemical Waste Handling & Disposal Waste is considered hazardous if it has the characteristics of being: Ignitable, Reactive, Corrosive, and Toxic. Containers must be clearly labeled “Hazardous Waste” with one of the above characteristic listings on the Cornell EH&S label, stored in a compatible shatterproof container and set in a secondary containment. Full containers are taken to G-26, never down the drain Broken glassware must not be placed with regular trash, but in specifically designed boxes to contain broken glass, used razor blades, scalpels, needles, and syringes. See Kathie Moh if need additional boxes.

Chemical Ordering Before ordering new chemicals you should consult the central chemical inventory maintained by Kathie Moh to see if somebody else have what you need. Cost disposal of unwanted chemicals as hazardous waste continues to mount each year

Personal Protective Equipment Routes of Exposure Inhalation Absorption through skin Ingestion, hence the banning of food and drinks in labs Injection from glass shards, syringes, used razors, etc

Personal Protective Equipment, cont. All lab users and visitors must wear ANSI approved eye protection when potential of eye injury exist. Closed toe shoes of non-woven material with non-slip soles Lab coats with front clasp Gloves Check chemical-glove compatibility Inspect gloves before use Remove glove and wash hands before leaving lab

Personal Protective Equipment, cont. Lab coats and gloves must be removed before leaving the laboratory so not to transfer contaminants to another person or laboratory.

What a spill sees:

Hygiene practices General Rules for Working With Chemicals Do not wear gloves when answering the phone, adjusting the radio dial, or using a computer used by others Hazardous chemicals may be carried through the hall with a rubber or plastic bucket Do not generate dusts when weighing out powdered chemicals Recap chemical containers promptly when weighing or pouring is completed Clean up the area around the balance when finished weighing chemicals Do not contaminate the exterior of chemical containers Place chemical containers back in storage when finished with a chemical

Know Where are the Emergency Stations Eyewash station Emergency Shower Fire Blanket Spill Control Kit First Aid Kit Fire Extinguisher/ Fire Alarm. AED Units

Refrigerators & Freezers Only “explosion proof/ safe” refrigerators and freezers may be used to store flammables “No Flammable Allowed” on refrigerators/freezers that are not “explosion proof/ safe” Refrigerator/freezers labeled for “CHEMICAL USE ONLY” or “FOOD USE ONLY” and used accordingly Interior sound and free of chemicals spills or contamination

Electricity Safety Electrical apparatus equipped with ground plugs or properly grounded Two prong appliances not within a 5 foot radius or directly located above flammable or sinks Extension cords in good conditions (no splices) Extension cords for temporary use only, not overloaded or longer than 6 feet

Gas Cylinders Installed and leak tested by trained personnel Secured in upright position, with cylinder clamp/chain fastened for solid support Flammable materials stored a minimum of 20 feet from cylinders containing oxidizers Regulators, proper connections, and tubing in good conditions Flammable gas tubing secured and labeled Flame arrester on flammable gas supply.

Gas Cylinders must be properly secured GoodNot Good - chains too low, it could fall onto somebody and break bones and/or valve off

Chemical Fume Hoods Do not use fume hood for storage, unless specifically for Satellite Accumulation Area Maintain sash height as or below posted level Do not stack objects against the baffle or else air velocity will be interrupted Ideally all doors should be closed to maintain the negative pressure of the laboratory

Waste Minimization Consider process modification to include product substitution, scale reduction, or bench top process. Incorporate neutralization, precipitation and drying, or chemical destruction into your procedural protocol

You’re Done! (after you take the quiz) See you next year…. Or go to the next annual refresher…