Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) SOURCES OF CHEMICAL SAFETY INFORMATION FOR TULANE LABORATORY EMPLOYEES WHO WANT TO FIND INFORMATION ON CHEMICALS THEY MAY ENCOUNTER AND HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES May 2012

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Objectives To become familiar with some useful resources (online websites, books, regulatory agencies) where one can find information on chemical and laboratory safety related topics

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Office of Environmental Health & Safety Website OEHS has put together a website which is a great resource tool and the source of a wealth of safety information:

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) OEHS Website Topics These are some of the topics and links that can be found on the OEHS website: Material Safety Data Sheets Chemical Safety Hazardous Materials & Waste Fire Safety Departmental Safety Representatives Biological Safety Laser Safety Radiation Safety Ergonomics General Safety OEHS Policies & Procedures Manual

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) OEHS Website – Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) Link Material Safety Data Sheets are available on the OEHS website at the following link: See the OEHS PowerPoint presentation on the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard for information regarding MSDSs MSDSs are documents provided by the manufacturer that tell you about a chemical and how to protect yourself

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) OEHS Website - Chemical Safety Link This is some of the information available under the Chemical Safety link of the OEHS website: Annual Lab Safety Paperwork & Forms Supervisor Guides and Manuals Dept of Homeland Security Chemicals of Interest Information on Specific Chemicals Lab Safety Training Material Safety Data Sheets Chemical Inventory Links Hazardous Materials & Waste Spill Information

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Prudent Practices in the Laboratory National Research Council This is an excellent, highly recommended reference of laboratory safety information- available online at

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories Less is Better: Laboratory Chemical Management for Waste Reduction Publications from the American Chemical Society - Available online mittees/chemicalsafety/publications/WPCP_ mittees/chemicalsafety/publications/WPCP_ mittees/chemicalsafety/publications/WPCP_012290

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Chemical Health & Safety Journal Publication of the American Chemical Society - Division of Chemical Health & Safety (See Division’s website:

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has produced this useful guide on chemicals and their hazards: Available online at

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories This is an especially useful source of lab safety information for microbiological and biomedical laboratories: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention National Institutes of Health (Available online - See /bmbl5/BMBL.pdf ) /bmbl5/BMBL.pdf

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Hawley’s Condensed Chemical Dictionary The Merck Index Chemical Abstracts These are additional sources of chemical safety information.

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Household Products Database This extensive database is a consumer’s guide providing easy to understand information on the potential health effects of more than 4,000 common household products The National Library of Medicine Available online at

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Emergency Response Guidebook This is a useful resource for first responders during the initial phase of a dangerous goods/hazardous materials incident: Guidebook developed by Transport Canada, the US Dept of Transportation, and the Secretariat of Transport & Communications of Mexico for use by fire fighters, police, and other emergency service personnel (see htm htm

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Regulatory Websites These sites contain safety information and references to regulations. Some, like OSHA, even provide online training on various topics. – Occupational Safety and Health Administration websitewww.osha.gov – Environmental Protection Agency websitewww.epa.gov – bioterrorism site of Centers for Disease Controlwww.bt.cdc.gov - Centers for Disease Control/ NIOSH websitewww.cdc.gov/niosh – Department of Transportation websitewww.dot.gov

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Summary There are many sources where one can find information about chemicals or products they may encounter Material Safety Data Sheets are not the only source available to learn of a chemical’s hazards Many regulatory agencies provide websites where one can learn about regulations – some even provide online training at their websites

Tulane University Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS) Pam Fatland Manager, Chemical Safety (504) If unable to proceed to quiz, type the link below into your browser Proceed to Quiz