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Infectious |
Corrosive |
Toxic |
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Explosive |
Flammable Materials |
Personal Hygiene |
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Storage of Chemicals |
Movement of Chemicals |
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Safety is just as important in the laboratory as in the rest of the world. State laws and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) demand proper safety procedures to be exercised in the laboratory at all times. OSHA specifically deals with “safety at the place of work.” The Act requires that “each employer has the general duty to furnish all employees, employment free from recognized hazards causing, or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”
Be nice. Be neat. Be safe. Be sure.
A laboratory which is neat, well-organized and well equipped is the second step of a good safety program. The first step is attitude. Careful thought before action provides more protection than all the safety equipment in the world.
Many people have spent their entire professional career and derived a lot of satisfaction from working in an analytical laboratory. Part of the satisfaction comes from being aware and avoiding the many potential hazards which are inherent in the lab. Biohazards, fragile glassware and corrosive liquids are among many of the dangerous conditions present in the lab. Safely working in the lab depends upon the level of training. Good analysts use four basic assumptions:
All samples, solutions and chemicals are poisonous or toxic,
All samples, solutions and chemicals are corrosive,
The glassware is about to break,
The container is HOT.
Familiarity breeds contempt. Shortcuts are not. Shortcuts are not allowable. Experience with a situation may lull the analyst into a false sense of security. Proceeding with an established, safe routine rewards the lab tech with a measure of satisfaction.
Standard Methods has a very good discussion in Section 1090 about safety. Safety equipment and laboratory hazards along with hazard management are presented and serve as a good introduction. Continuing safety education is stressed. ‘Tailgate safety meetings’, scheduled sessions and safety seminars are cheap insurance. The individual must take the initiative and study safety on his own.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires that all commercially purchased chemicals and solutions have MSDS’s (Material Safety Data Sheet). Federal law requires that collections of MSDS for all chemicals the employee may potentially contact be maintained within easy access of the employee. Each sheet follows a general format for easy reference about unfamiliar chemicals.
All analysts, all employees for that matter, should be familiar with the MSDS format. When an emergency arises, quick response will help keep a small problem small.
The purpose of the MSDS is to have a readily available reference document that includes complete information on common names, safe exposure level, effects of exposure, symptoms of exposure, flammability rating, type of first-aid procedures, and other information about each hazardous substance. Operators should be trained to read and understand the MSDS forms. The forms themselves should be stored in a convenient location where they are readily available for reference. Some manufacturers are preparing MSDS’s for products that are not considered to be hazardous to show that the product or substance is not hazardous.
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The MSDS usually has eight sections |
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I |
Sources |
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II |
Hazardous Ingredients |
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III |
Physical/Chemical Characteristics |
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IV |
Fire and explosion hazard data |
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V |
Reactivity data |
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VI |
Health hazard data |
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VII |
Precautions for safe handling and use |
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VIII |
Control measures |
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Required information on Material Safety Data Sheets includes |
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The chemical name |
Any common names |
The potential for Reactivity |
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The potential for Fire |
The potential for Explosion |
Acute and Chronic Health effects |
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Potential routes of exposure |
Symptoms of Overexposure |
Proper Precautions |
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Safe handling practices |
Other Safety Precautions |
Emergency Spill Procedure |
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Emergency Fire Procedure |
Disposal Procedure |
First Aid Procedure |
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Lay terms of risks |
Month/Year info compiled |
Who prepared MSDS |
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The CAS1 Number of the “Hazardous Substance” |
Necessary Personal Protective Equipment |
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While each ‘sheet’ (most times several pages) provides vital information, finding that ‘sheet’ usually takes so much time that you might as well not have it. If you're going to have the sheets (OSHA REQUIREMENT), the yellow file folder really needs attention to organization. I recommend several small folders instead of one BIG (unwieldy) 1” or larger folder. Each small folder should be further divided and clearly labeled for quick access. Copies of each ‘sheet’ should be filed in as many different locations as where the chemical is normally found. For example, sulfuric acid might be found in the lab, at a processing step and at a temporary cleaning area and in a storage location, so, 4 different file folders each with duplicate ‘sheets’ are suggested. I recommend an index in the front of each file folder, listing page numbers and then, add page numbers to each page of the ‘sheet’. Each facility will be unique, so the documentation needs will be special, the main idea I wish to emphasize is ‘being able to find the information quickly’ for that emergency which will happen.
May I suggest the following as a way to organize your MSDS:
MSDS’s located in many, thin 3 ring binders, say 9 - 1" 3 ring binders. The first binder contains the INDEX only. The INDEX will cross reference and link to the volume and page (which usually has several sheets (the .0 - ...)
Brand Names
Alphabetical order (example: Red Hot : V3, p 313.0 - 313.5 (meaning there are six 8-1/2 x 11" sheets per 'page' in the third binder )
Categories
(multiple entries encouraged to link to 'the page')
Production
Maintenance
Environmental
Laboratory
Storage
Cleaning
(ex. Red Hot: V3 p. 313.0 - 313.5)
Special
Major Chemical Constituent
(example Sodium Hydroxide)
Environmental
Cleaning
Red Hot: V3, p 313.0 -313.5
Index pages only are revised. New MSDS’s are added to the end of volumes/pages (i.e. most recent addition will be the last page of the last Volume).
... Just a rough sketch of my concept/idea. My intent is to find the data sheet as quick as possible.
More: set up computer files in a database format so the computer can do the searching. Further, set up ways to use the rich resource of the Internet.
OSHA form 174 provides a guide, a standardized format for MSDS data. A summarized single sheet preceding each manufacturers version would improve quick location of needed data such as occurs in an emergency. Additional information/instructions specific to the needs and conditions of the facility should be detailed on this summarized standardized data sheet.
Safety is very important in the laboratory for many reasons. State laws and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) demand proper safety procedures to be exercised in the workplace at all times. The Act requires that “each employer has the general duty to furnish all employees, employment free from recognized hazards causing, or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”
Personnel working in a laboratory must realize that a number of hazardous materials and conditions exist. Be alert and careful. Be aware of potential dangers at all times. Safe practice in the laboratory requires hardly any more effort than unsafe practice, and the important results are prevention of injury or bodily damage.
Common laboratory hazards include: Infectious materials, poisons, explosions, cuts and bruises, electrical shocks, toxic fumes. The laboratory uses many organic chemicals including freon, MEK, phenols and organophosphates. Most organics can be absorbed through skin, and through prolonged exposure, lead to possible damage to the central nervous system. Working with these chemicals include the following protective measures: Skin Protection, Good Ventilation, and a thorough washing of hands after handling. While having a well equipped First Aid Station is required, large quantities of water is the first aid to treat chemical burns.
Water and wastewater samples can contain millions of biological organisms. Some are infectious and can cause diseases such as tetanus, typhoid, dysentery, and hepatitis (virus). Raw wastewater samples can be poisonous and explosive. Anyone handling these materials should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water, particularly before handling food or any consumable item. The type of soap used is much less important than a thorough wash and thorough rinse.
Acids are extremely corrosive to human tissue, clothing, wood cement and concrete. Spill cleanup materials should be kept on hand.
Bases, (NaOH), are also extremely corrosive to human tissue. Spill cleanup materials should be kept on hand. Since bases tend to deaden nerves, reaction is delayed, increasing damage. Therefore, I suggest that bases should be considered more hazardous than acids. Dr. Smith confirms. After I slipped up [17Fe2], operated a pump against a closed valve, burst PVC pipe spraying NaOH all over my face and eyes. He said flushing for 20 minutes is recommended for Bases. I did that OK so my eyes will recover fully in a week. I'll be wearing safety glasses much more often.
Good practices to follow include:
Good housekeeping
Buddy system
Face shield as appropriate
Lab apron
Appropriate gloves
Chemical Storage
A spacious, well lit storeroom is also essential for safety in the laboratory. The storeroom should be properly ventilated and lighted and be organized to segregate incompatible chemicals. Order and cleanliness must be maintained. All chemicals and bottles must be clearly labeled and dated. With a place for everything and everything in its place, efficient lab work is more likely to happen. Safety and efficiency are very much related.
Heavy items should be stored on or near to the floor. Volatile liquids which may escape as a gas must be kept away from heat sources, sunlight and electrical equipment.
The usual common sense rules of storage should be followed. Good housekeeping is a most significant contribution toward an effective safety campaign.
Faulty technique is one of the chief causes of accidents and because it involves the human element, is one of the most difficult to correct. Continuing education and skill improvement are also safety issues.
Because of their nature and prevalence in the laboratory, acids and other corrosive materials constitute a series of hazards including poisoning, burning, gassing, and explosion. Bases deserve the same respect. Always rinse the outside of acid (bases also) bottles and caps before opening them. Keep all acids and bases tightly closed when not in use and make sure no spill remains on the floor, table, or bottle after use. Always pour acid into water. Always pour bases into water.
The reason splattering occurs when water is poured into acid is the acid surrounds the water molecules and the rapid exothermic reaction has no place to go until enough pressure is reached. However, the reaction products disperse through the water when acid is poured. Therefore, always add or dilute acid into water/reagent water.
Whenever there are electrical outlets, plugs and wiring connections, there is the danger of electrical shock.
There are times in the lab when glass tubing or thermometers must be inserted through rubber stoppers. Gloves are a good precaution to take when making such connections. Consider the pain over several days versus a minute or so of slow, careful, accurate, focused activity. Plastic can cut. Paper can cut. Focused attention can be the most effective safety aid available. Accidents will occur despite the best effort, so a well stocked FIRST-AID KIT must be available at all times.
Wearing gloves is a necessary precaution while working in the lab. Removing the gloves after you're through with a task must be done in a prescribed manner to prevent spreading the contamination on the gloves to objects which you don't want contaminated. Pens, pencils, paper, coffee cups, and so on are so easily/thoughtlessly picked up. Developing a habit of carefully thinking each movement of your hands will take time, but it must be ingrained. Wash, rinse, clean the gloves while still on your hands. Then remove the cleaned gloves from your hands. Discard those gloves. Wash your hands thoroughly, then pick up that pencil/pen. This procedure should keep the contamination where you want it and not in your/someone's body.
Different types of gloves are needed in lab work. Inserting glass tubing into rubber stoppers/fittings should be done using heavy leather type gloves just in case the tubing breaks. Lubricate the glass with water (only, not any grease), grip the glass as close to the rubber as you can while wiggling them together a little at a time. Gently. Apply just enough pressure to ease the tubing into the rubber. Practice, develop the skill, strength is not important with this task. Nitrile gloves are needed to protect when solvents are handled. Know before which glove is right for the task.
When you break glassware (it will happen), dispose of the remnants properly. Transferring the problem (causing more problems) are not what you want to do. Have a plan to take care of the trash before you have the trash. When the trash is contaminated, broken glass, or just regular stuff - have a designated, specific receptacle available and a procedure in place for removing the receptacle from the lab. Consider all the steps to reach the ultimate destination of disposal and eliminate the possibility of more problems. Flame polishing chipped glassware is a skill probably best left in history, but chipped glassware may (some question) be recovered for safe use in this manner. Discarding glassware, broken or chipped is a safe practice.
Perhaps the most harmful and painful burn occurs in eye injuries.
Fumes, splashes, and foreign objects can be avoided by using face shields, safety goggles and hoods, but the eye wash station in the lab is a required appliance.
Planning for a fire can be the best prevention of fires. Think about what course of action to take during a fire event, fire exits, keep the fire small, keep the fire one type not spread into several types all at the same time.
Laboratory safety standards shall take into account the requirements of 29 CFR 1450, including Appendix A - National Research Council Recommendations Concerning Chemical Hygiene in Laboratories.
Storage. a. Each laboratory building should have storage room(s) for bulk chemicals and a separate one for laboratory equipment and apparatus. The chemical storage room(s) shall be well ventilated and lighted, provided with adequate means for emergency exit, and shall be separated from other parts of laboratory buildings by adequate fire walls. Openings in the fire walls shall be protected by approved automatically closing doors. The room shall be protected by permanently installed automatic class B fire extinguishers or sprinklers. Personnel deluge showers and emergency eye lavages shall be installed in or accessible to all chemical storage rooms. An inventory of chemical supplies shall be maintained for all rooms. Carboys, containers of chemicals and bulky items should be stored as near the floor as practicable. Chemicals which might react to produce dangerous fumes or explosions must be stored so that they will not come together in the event of a leak or spill. Volatile liquids must be stored away from heat sources and out of the direct rays of sunlight. Flammable liquids shall be stored in flammable storage cabinets approved by the NFPA or in a safety refrigerator [ a refrigerator designated specifically for and only to used use for storing such chemicals]. All electrical equipment must be of the approved type. Each container must be legibly marked or labeled for identification of contents and should be tightly closed when not in use. Explosives and other highly reactive material must be stored separately from other materials with which they may react or are incompatible (like acids and bases). The separation must be such to preclude mixing of the reactive or incompatible materials. All explosives and other particularly hazardous materials must be stored outside the laboratory building, in separate facilities that meet the construction and quantity-distance requirements. Some analyses require compressed gas cylinder supplies. These cylinders should be stored capped and/or secured to prevent falling or rolling. All samples placed in storage must be identified with a permanent label.
Refrigerators for laboratory storage shall not be used to store personal food or drink items.
Handling. a. Mechanical devices should be used to transfer, lift, and pour chemicals from large containers or carboys. Safety siphons, approved type pumps or inclinators shall be used when dispensing acids from carboys. Drums of chemical should be mounted horizontally, securely braced, with drip pans placed on the floor under the taps of faucets to absorb any drippings.
Necessary protective clothing and equipment shall be readily available and used as required. Hazardous materials and materials of unknown characteristics should be handled remotely during processing, testing, and experimenting.
Laboratory equipment or apparatus should be installed in a manner that will ensure stability as well as prevent inadvertent movement of equipment that would affect equipment alignment or the operation. Pieces of apparatus or equipment containing heated chemicals, acids, flammable materials, or other hazardous chemical should also be carefully assembled, positioned, and secured to prevent them from falling or being knocked over.
Laboratory Techniques. a. Before starting a project, investigators should identify the health and safety hazards of chemicals to be used and produced and the hazards of the reactions which may occur. In addition to SOPs, emergency procedures for malfunctions and unexpected or uncontrolled reactions that might occur should be established and practiced. When in doubt about any operation and before working with material whose properties are in doubt, the supervisor must be consulted.
Good housekeeping must be practiced at all times. Each laboratory/room must be kept neat, orderly, and free of hazardous amounts of explosives and chemical contamination. Corridors must be kept clean; floors, shelves, and work areas shall be kept free from all unnecessary apparatus and chemicals. Spills shall be cleaned up immediately and broken glassware shall be placed in separate, specially marked receptacles.
Every scientist/lab operator, upon vacating a laboratory on completion of a project, must decontaminate that laboratory to ensure that the next occupant will not encounter any unforeseen hazard created by unused or spilled explosives/chemicals, incompatible mixtures in sink and water trap, and the like, accomplishing same to the satisfaction of his supervisor/lab chief. At the end of each day, decontamination must be accomplished to the maximum extent which will not interfere with essential work. Working alone outside of normal duty hours, on weekends, or on holidays in an explosives laboratory must have local safety office approval on a timely basis. All laboratory clothing which may become contaminated with substances unsafe for removal at the installation or commercial laundries shall be washed on a scheduled basis in a separate facility designated for that purpose. Carrying or use of smoking, eating, or cosmetic materials is prohibited in laboratories where toxic materials are or may be present.
PPE, Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment. a. Each operation must be evaluated for the potential hazards and proper protective clothing and equipment. Safety goggles constitute a very important item of personal protective equipment for laboratory work, and they must be worn during all operations presenting eye hazards. Eye protection conforming to ANSI Z 87-1 shall be worn by all personnel where operations presenting eye hazards are being conducted (including aisles and hallways). Heat resistant mittens or tongs must be used to handle hot or cryogenic objects. Disposable clothing is convenient, but chemically resistant aprons are a must. These routine laboratory PPE should be considered a minimum safety precaution. Get more, as you cannot be too safe.
Safety showers of the deluge type and eye wash fountains shall be provided at locations where personnel are exposed to hazardous chemicals. Fifteen minutes is a long time to be flushing your eyes, but that's the recommendation and I'd do it if chemicals splashed in my eyes.
Protective shields (approved for quantities being used) and indirect handling devices must be used for operations involving hazardous materials which may react violently, and which could result in a fire or explosion.
Ventilation. a. Laboratory ventilation systems must be adequate to maintain a comfortable temperature level. They must have sufficient capacities to properly condition make-up air required for exhaust hoods. The principle means for removal of toxic contaminants shall be exhaust systems, with intakes (normally in the form of hoods) at points where contaminants are generated. The air conditioning for the lab and its personnel shall be sized to include the air volume required by the Laboratory fume hoods. The Laboratory fume hoods are used primarily for containment and venting of the gases generated during use of hazardous chemicals. b. Proper maintenance is essential to a safe laboratory operation. Laboratory fume hoods and exhaust system components should receive preventive maintenance semiannually. The checklist should include: replacing of worn belts; greasing of bearings; checking corrosion of ducts, fans, blowers, and discharge stack; checking tightness of duct connections; cleaning of ducts and equipment; adjustment of volume dampers and hood baffles; and cleaning or replacing filters.
Laboratory fume hoods should be performance evaluated at least every three months, immediately after installation, and immediately before and after ventilation modification. Uniform air distribution should be provided. Because adjustable baffles and dampers are subject to tampering, they should be checked with each inspection (thirty cubic meters per minute required minimum). The proper air distribution is determined by the face velocity test, contaminant leakage test, and static pressure test. Before performing the tests, verify that the make-up air system and other laboratory hoods or exhaust devices are operating and windows and doors are in their normal positions. A filter maintenance program will ensure that the filter materials are performing as required.
When maintenance personnel are required to work on potentially contaminated systems they will receive prior concurrences from safety and operating personnel and will be trained on potential exposures. Standing operating procedures should be developed covering use of pressure vessels.
Flammable Liquids/Solvents. Liquids with a flash point above sixty degrees Celsius and a vapor pressure above 275 kPa at thirty-eight degrees Celsius are flammable solvents. The quantity of flammable liquids stored in laboratories shall be kept to the minimum required for safe and efficient operation. Except where prohibited by technical considerations, flammable liquids shall be stored in and dispensed from NFPA approved safety containers. Operations involving volatile flammable liquids should be carried out behind protective shields, under hoods, within trays or other suitable containers that will make control easier if a fire should start. A refrigerator designated as "Safety" used only for flammable solvents would also be acceptable as a storage cabinet as long as it were modified to vent gases (costly, other ways should be more effective for your money).
Flammable liquids should be kept away from ignition sources such as exposed electric heating elements, open flame, and electrical wiring and equipment that is not of the type approved for use in hazardous locations. When flammable liquids must be heated in the laboratory, it is preferable that water, steam, or electrical heat be used.
Electrical Equipment and Wiring. Electrical wiring and equipment and their installation shall be in accordance with the National Electric Code.
Disposal of Waste Materials. a. Proper containers shall be provided for disposal of various waste materials. A sufficient number of containers shall be available to preclude mixing of materials which may result in a chemical reaction, fire, or explosion. Innocuous materials should not be mixed with hazardous materials. All containers must be distinctly marked to identify the contents, like broken glass. Volatile flammable liquids shall never be poured down a sink, basin, or any drain. Materials such as cyanides, which are capable of evolving poisonous gases either alone or as a result of a reaction with other materials (mixing cleaning materials ammonia and Clorox or Comet can release Chlorine gas), shall not be emptied into drains or sewers. A chemist or other qualified person should supervise their disposal. Disposal and storage for disposal are also dictated by established installation waste management procedures to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
The laboratory should be equipped with a fire blanket. The fire blanket is used normally to smother clothing fires. Small beaker fires could be spread into large dangerous fires by being knocked over from the force of a fire extinguisher. Fire drills and review of such drills can prepare everyone for emergencies. The proper use of the various types of extinguishers will give the best control of the situation.
Class A fires are defined as wood, paper, textiles and similar materials. Use foam, water, CO2 or almost any kind of extinguisher. A fire usually consists of three conditions: Air (oxygen for combustion), Fuel (material being oxidized) and Temperature (the energy to start combustion). Most often, controlling any one condition will control the fire.
Class B fires are fueled by grease, oil, paint and related (hexane) materials.
Foam or dry chemical or vaporizing liquid extinguishers should be used. When fire happens while you are close by, generally, you'll know what material is burning and what to put it out with.
Class C fires are electrical in origin and using the wrong extinguisher can seriously harm the person trying to put it out. CO2 , dry chemical or vaporizing liquid extinguisher are the proper types to use with this type of fire.
Class D fires involve very active elements: sodium, magnesium and zinc and others. Generally, fine dry soda ash or sand will smother this type of fire. Careful reading of the MSDS will provide the correct information about your specific case (in advance, prepare).
Baking Soda and Vinegar are recommended substances to be kept on hand to counteract acid or base spills. Baking soda can also control grease fires and may be used to smother other types of fires, small ones of course.
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