Chemical Safety
Outline:
 Overarching principles
 Standard (required) practices
 Alarms and evacuation
 Safety Equipment: Eyewashes
and Showers
 First Aid /Health Center
 Fire Safety
 Personal protective equipment
 Fume hoods
 Safety Data Sheets
 Chemical handling and storage
 Chemical Spills
 Perhaps our most common
injury accident….
Overarching principles: a warm-up
 Always follow standard practices for clothing and protective
equipment. What are these?
 Before you do anything, evaluate potential hazards – and then
plan your actions.
 What are some possible hazards with your experiment/research?
 How can you find the hazards associated with chemicals?
 Are any special hazards (electrical, laser, biosafety) present?
Are any engineering controls needed ?
What might these be?
 What types of personal protective equipment are needed?
 Be prepared for an emergency:
 Where is the nearest (exit/eyewash/fire extinguisher/shower)?
 What should I do in the event of a fire? chemical spill? 3
WHAT IS CHEMICAL SAFETY?
 Chemical Safety is achieved by undertaking all activities
involving chemicals in such a way as to ensure the safety
of human health and the environment.
 It covers all chemicals, natural and manufactured, and
the full range of exposure situations from the natural
presence of chemicals in the environment to their
extraction or synthesis, industrial production, transport
use and disposal.
 The first principle of laboratory safety is to recognize the
hazards of chemicals, equipment, and procedures
Hazard vs Risk
 Hazard is any source of potential damage or harm to an individual’s health
or life under certain conditions, whether at work or in the home.
 Risk is the chance or probability of a person being harmed or experiencing
an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard.
 Risk assessment is the process of estimating the probability of harm from a
hazard
Controlling Exposure

 Controlling exposures to chemical hazards and

toxic substances is the fundamental method of
protecting concerned personnel.

 A hierarchy of controls is used as a means of

determining how to implement feasible and
effective controls.
Common Laboratory Hazards
 CHEMICAL HAZARDS
 Corrosive chemicals - typically, strong acids and bases, solutions with a
pH < 2 or a pH > 12
 Flammable chemicals - chemicals that are easily ignited or explode under usual
laboratory working conditions, such as aldehydes,ketones, and hydrocarbons.

 PHYSICAL HAZARDS
 Incompatible chemicals for storage or handling - Storing strong oxidizers, such as nitric
acid, with reduced compounds, such as hydrocarbons. Reactants that react with air or
water, such as alkyl metals or acid halides.
 Compressed gases and high-pressure systems - This includes both the chemical
hazard of the gases and the physical hazard of all parts of the system subjected to
greater than 1 bar (>100 kPa).
Electrical hazards
 High voltage = special hazards
 Do not work on electrical equipment
unless you are sure it is de-energized.
 Before touching an unconscious person,
check for a source of electricity.
 Avoid spark sources near solvents
 Electrical cords/ cables
 Should not obstruct work or aisles.
 Extension (“drop”) cords only for short-term use;
power strips can be used long-term.
 Do not “daisy-chain” cords or power strips.
 Discard and replace damaged cords.
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 Consult Electronics shop with any concerns.
 HEALTH HAZARDS
 Toxic substance - Any substance that has the capacity to produce personal injury or
illness to humans through ingestion, inhalation, or absorption through any body
surface
 classifications such as “highly toxic”, “acutely toxic”, “chronically toxic”, carcinogens,
allergens, mutagens, and teratogens.

Carcinogens - A substance that is capable of causing cancer. (e.g. Ethylene oxide, Cr(VI)
formaldehyde, arsenic)
Allergens - A chemical that causes an allergic reaction— that is, evokes an adverse immune
response (could be a severe rash or respiratory distress).
Mutagens - A substance capable of changing genetic material in a cell and thus
increasing the frequency of mutations. (e.g. Mercury, lead, acetone, carbon disulfide)
Teratogens - An agent that can cause non-inheritable genetic mutations or
malformations of an embryo or fetus. The agent can be a chemical substance, virus, or
ionizing radiation. (e.g. Ethanol, ethylene oxide, mercury compounds)
  Acute chemical exposures - brief exposures to highly toxic or
allergenic chemicals can have a significant impact on health
 Chronic chemical exposures - extended exposure to chronically toxic
chemicals can result in cancer or other organ-specific damage
 Nanomaterials - small size of nanomaterials allows these materials to
enter deeply into the respiratory tract or to penetrate unprotected skin.

 REACTION HAZARDS
 Reactive and unstable chemicals - Chemicals that react with air or
water require special handling to address their reactive hazards
Chemicals: What is a hazardous material?
 Toxic substances
 Solvents
 Corrosives
Hazardous chemicals present physical or health threats to  Flammables
workers in clinical, industrial, and academic laboratories.  Irritants
 Carcinogens
 Teratogens
 Short version: A hazardous material is anything that is: flammable,  Mutagens
corrosive, reactive, an oxidizer, toxic/carcinogenic/etc., or breaks  Explosives
down to give species with any of the above categories.  Radiation
and many more

 Examples: acetone (flammability); 1N HCl (corrosive); sodium

cyanide (toxicity); chloroform (cancer suspect agent).

 The concept of a hazardous material will be very important for

transport/use/storage/disposal!
How do toxic materials enter the body?

 By mouth (contaminated fingers!)

 By breathing in gases, aerosols or
powder
 By skin contact or damage
 By absorption through intact skin
 By splashes into the eyes
Mercury
 Mercury is a naturally occurring element that
is found in air, water and soil.
 Exposure to mercury – even small amounts –
may cause serious health problems, and is a
threat to the development of the child in
utero and early in life.
 Mercury may have toxic effects on the
nervous, digestive and immune systems, and
on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.
 Mercury is considered by WHO as one of the
top ten chemicals or groups of chemicals of
major public health concern.
 People are mainly exposed to methylmercury,
an organic compound, when they eat fish and
shellfish that contain the compound.
CONTROLLING EXPOSURE
Required Practices: Clothing

 Clothing:
 NO open-toed shoes/sandals/slippers.
 Wearing of shorts and sandos not allowed.
 Do not wear loose clothing and jewelries (necklaces).
 Remove contact lenses
 Long hair must be tied up when doing laboratory experiments
 Approved lab coats/ lab gowns are required (no lab gown, no lab)
Required Practices:
Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs)
 Required for work with chemicals:
Splash goggles or safety glasses
• Use goggles or a face mask when working with splash hazards (particularly
corrosive agents or toxic materials)
Lab coats, can be kept on while moving between labs but should not otherwise be worn
outside lab.
Swap out dirty coats for laundering
Shoes with continuous tops (no sandals or open toes!)
• Recommended: long pants
Disposable nitrile gloves are usually OK for transient protection:
Immediately replace damaged / contaminated gloves. Grasp the
sleeve and pull it towards your fingertips, inside-out. Wash your
hands before re-gloving.
Required Practices: Behavior
 Come to the laboratory prepared.
 No unauthorized experiments should be performed (work under the
approval/supervision of your lab instructor)
 Eating/Drinking/Smoking: Not allowed in any areas of the Chemical Laboratory
 Sitting in the laboratory table is Not allowed even during discussion
 No horseplaying, prank jokes
 Keep full attention to on your work
 Report all accidents , however minor, to your lab instructor.
 Follow proper disposal of wastes
 When you complete your work for the day, BE SURE TO CLEAN UP
 Practice Good Housekeeping
 All equipment borrowed should be returned clean and dry
Engineering Controls

 FUMEHOODS
 Toxic, flammable, or corrosive materials must be
handled in a fume hood.
 Do not allow gloves, paper towels, plastic, or foil to be sucked
into the back of the hood.
 Minimize use for storage. Place bulky equipment towards the
rear of the hood and allow ≥ 2” beneath for air flow.
 Work as far inside the hood as possible and try to minimize the
amount the sash is open.

 STRAPS AND CLOSED STORAGE FOR GAS CYLINDER

 Gas cylinders need to be secured in the lab with a strap.
 When being transported, they need to be secured to the cart with
a chain.
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 SECONDARY CONTAINMENT FOR CHEMICALS

 Transport of any hazardous materials outside of your lab requires

secondary containment, which can be either a specialized
container or a sturdy plastic pail. Would you want to be on the
elevator when someone dropped a bottle of solvent?

 PROPER CHEMICAL STORAGE

 Proper storage of chemicals based on their properties

Containers must be
securely closed.
Chemical Storage: the quick version
 Flammable solvents
 Large quantities in safety containers or in safety cabinets.
 Segregate by hazard:
 Oxidizers: Separate from flammables, reducing agents
 Water Reactive: Protect from water, segregate from flammables and
oxidizers.
 Inorganic Acids: Segregate from organic acids, flammables.
 Toxic Materials: (includes carcinogens). Segregate, protect from
cross-reactions. Would you want to be in a lab where sodium cyanide
and sulfuric acid were stored together?
 Segregation can be based upon secondary containers (for example,
plastic tubs).
Chemical labeling
 Chemicals must be labeled to permit unambiguous identification. Normally this
means full name and/or CAS #. Exceptions:
 Research samples under your personal control and prepared and consumed
in a single work period.
 Abbreviations are OK for common reagents and research samples if your lab
uses a posted “key” and system. For example, “PD-6-62 product” could be
used to label product prepared as per the procedure in notebook #6, page
62…but only if I have the system and abbreviations clearly posted in the
lab.
 But, much stricter rules for used/spent/waste chemicals (next page)
Chemical disposal-labeling
 Labeling of materials for
disposal has much greater legal
requirements:
 Must have full name (no
abbreviations)
 Must show all constituents.
 Applies to any “recovered’
chemical, whether “used”,
“excess”, “spent”, etc.
Unknown chemicals

 Major problem. Presumed to be hazardous

material until proven otherwise.

 Label everything. Don’t allow materials to become

unknowns.
 Ifyou have 50 nearly identical samples in a
rack, you can legally label the rack.
GHS LABELING OF CHEMICALS
Safety Data Sheets
 The Safety Data Sheet (SDS), formerly known as the Material Safety
Data Sheet (MSDS)
 The information includes the properties of each chemical; the
physical, health, and environmental health hazards; protective
measures; and safety precautions for handling, storing, disposing of,
and transporting the chemical.
Materials
 Obtain the minimum amounts needed for your
work
 Ensure that all containers are clearly labelled
with their contents and a hazard label
 Toxic materials must be locked away
 Corrosive substances must be stored securely at
a low level in bunded trays
 Keep flammable materials in specially designed
cupboards and only have out the minimum for
immediate use (<50L per room)
 Store acids, bases & solvents separately
Good practice

 Never mouth-pipette
 Always dilute concentrated acids
by adding the acid to water,
never the reverse
 Always leave benches, balances
etc clean & tidy after use
Fire
Three ingredients are essential to produce a fire.

 Fire Triangle 1. Enough oxygen to sustain combustion

2. Enough heat to raise the material to its ignition temperature
3. Some sort of fuel or combustible material

When a chemical chain reaction is added to the fire

triangle, it becomes a fire tetrahedron.
Four items are necessary to produce a fire.
 Fire Tetrahedron 1. Oxygen
2. Heat
3. Fuel or combustible material
4. A chemical reaction
Classes of Fire
Dry chemical extinguishers: when to use
 Dry powder: will quickly “knock down” most solvent
and chemical fires and those where CO2 would react
with the burning material (e.g., sodium).* Never use
on people.
 *Firesinvolving any significant quantity of
reactive metals and metal hydrides require a
special Class D extinguisher not covered here.
 After
using a dry powder extinguisher, turn off
computers and electrical equipment to minimized
damage.

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How to use the fire extinguisher?

P – twist and pull the pin

A – aim the nozzle at the base of the fire

S – squeeze the lever or handle

S – sweep from side to side

Emergency alarm: what should you do?
Exit immediately via stairs. During a fire accident, a fire can quickly trap you.
Close office and lab doors behind you.
Turn off the power to solvent stills, heating mantles, etc., only if you can do
so without delaying your departure. If you later realize that an unattended
laboratory operation may pose a hazard, inform security or safety personnel.

Gather on the evacuation area.

If your lab is missing someone who was near the fire/emergency, notify
emergency officials.
DO NOT reenter the building until the “all clear” signal is given.
Chemical Spills: “Should I stay or should I go?”

Tailor your response to the possible hazard.

• If a spill is large or dangerous, get away!
• call your lab instructor
• For any spill, alert others and close off the area;
• Use chairs/stools to close off part of a corridor.
• Report immediately to your lab instructor
Chemical spills:
“bare-bones” procedures
 Acids
 Confine, neutralize (bicarbonate), clean up, dispose.
 Flammable solvent
 Eliminate ignition sources, confine, absorb, clean up, dispose.
 Mercury
 Consolidate, collect, dispose of, wash yourself.
 Solids
 Scoop, place in container for disposal.
Chemical spills: clean-up kits
 Your lab needs spill kit(s) appropriate to the nature of chemicals
you store and use. All spill kits should contain:
 Vinyl and nitrile gloves, large (1 pr each); safety goggles (2 prs);
plastic shoe protectors (2 prs); dustpan (1); polyethylene
trashbags (≥10). Adsorbent pads/pillows are also a good idea.
 Labs working with solvents should also have:
 5 gallon bucket of sorbent or “kitty litter” (labeled)
 Labs working with acids:
 5 gallon bucket of Na2CO3 or NaHCO3 or similar.
 Labs using Hg should have a commercial spill kit.
 Kits must be labeled and readily accessible. All lab workers need to
know of the kits and their location.
First Aid Procedures
 Major bleeding:
 Yell for help (so someone else can summon ambulance).

 Chemical splashes: Always refer to Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

 Arm or hand or face: Wash in a sink with lots of water.
 In eyes (wear goggles/safety glass!)-use eyewash with lots of water.
 Remove any contaminated clothing! Get under a safety shower. Help an
injured party get to a shower.
 Once you have removed the chemical, seek medical treatment. Ask others
to bring the SDS for the chemical.
SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY

ACCIDENT PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

When in doubt – ASK!!!

 Do not carry out a new or

unfamiliar procedure until you
have been fully trained &
understand the precautions
necessary for safe working
 DO NOT GUESS!!!
 AND ALWAYS CARRY WITH YOU A
LOT OF COMMON SENSE
THANK YOU!