Environmental Safety
Chemical Safety Manual
Georgia Southern University
Department of Chemistry
2005-06
Safety Manual
1.1 PURPOSE
The purpose of this safety manual is to prevent accidents and to have an established procedure for dealing with safety issues and hazardous waste in the GSU Chemistry Department.
1.2 Safety Agreements
All instructors should go over the safety agreement with their classes.
Students are required to agree to the safety agreement and sign it if
they are to take the laboratory. Special arrangements should be made for
students who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Instructor
Copy of the GSU Chemistry Safety Agreements is to be placed in the main
office, where they will be kept for a period of two years.
Faculty are required to complete right-to-know training each year. This
training can be performed online at the University System of Georgia.
The address is as follows: http://www.usg.edu/ehs/training/rtkbasic/.
At the end, you fill out a form with your name on it and submit it. The
form goes to the campus safety officer. You should print the final page
on the screen and put it in secretary's mailbox so she can keep a copy
on file.
1.3 Eye Protection.
Faculty and teaching assistants. Faculty and teaching assistants must
wear safety glasses or goggles at all times while in the chemistry laboratory.
These are provided by the Department and may be obtained from the Laboratory
Coordinator. The Department Head should be informed about people who do
not wear eye protection.
Students. Students must purchase eyeglasses or goggles. The Chemistry
department does not provide these. Students should not be permitted in
the laboratory without eye protection. Normal eyeglasses are not sufficient
eye protection. It is the responsibility of the faculty and teaching assistants
to make sure that all students wear eye protection in a safe manner. Students
should be advised that before wearing contacts in the laboratory, they
should consult their own physician first. However, if students sign a
contact lens waiver from their doctor, they may wear contacts lenses,
but are still required to wear safety glasses. In research labs the faculty
member has the responsibility of making sure that all students wear safety
glasses and perform all experiments in a safe manner.
1.4 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
* In the case of a serious emergency (life-threatening emergencies, fires
and major chemical spills) Dial 9911 - (this goes to Statesboro Police
EMS)
EMS would transport to the hospital if necessary.
* In the case of a less serious medical situation as determined by EMS,
Public Safety would be available to transport to the Health Center (5841)
or students could use their own transportation to the health Center.
GSU employees including work-study students and faculty should see a
physician listed in the conformed panel given in the Worker's Compensation
information posted in the Department office. When in doubt call 9911 or
University Police 5234
* In all cases, fill out an accident report and notify the Department
Head.
Georgia Southern University has established an Emergency Response Plan to cover most emergencies. Some of these emergencies include serious injury, Chemical Release, Fire, Bomb Threat and others. In most cases one should call 9-911 or the University Police at 681-5234..
A copy of the Emergency Response Plan is available in the Chemistry Department Office. Dr. Norman Schmidt and Dr. Jeff Orvis also have copies of this emergency response plan. It is not currently posted on the GSU web page.
2.1 GENERAL SAFETY GUIDELINES
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) must be readily available to all laboratory employees. The following guidelines have been established to minimize or eliminate hazards in the laboratory. These guidelines have also been provided to maintain a safe laboratory environment. It is the responsibility of each person that enters into the laboratory (whether it's visitors, students, faculty, or staff) to understand the safety and health hazards associated with the chemicals and equipment in the laboratory. It is also the individual's responsibility to practice the following general safety guidelines at ALL times:
1. Always wear proper eye protection in chemical work, handling and storage areas. Contact lenses should not be worn without a waiver from the personal physician. Fitted goggles are essential if, for therapeutic reason, contact lenses must be worn.
2. Always know the physical and chemical hazards associated with the materials that are being utilized in the lab.
3. Always wear appropriate protective clothing in the laboratory.
4. In the laboratory tie long hair back and out of the way. Do not wear loose clothing, high-heeled shoes, open-toed shoes, sandals or shoes made of woven material. Do not wear shorts, cutoffs or miniskirts. However, you may cover these with a suitable lab coat or apron.
5. Always wash hands and arms with soap and water before leaving the work area. This applies even if you have been wearing gloves.
6. Never perform any hazardous work when alone in the laboratory. At least two people must be present and an instructor must supervise undergraduate students at all times.
7. Never perform unauthorized work, preparations or experiments.
8. Never engage in horseplay, pranks or other acts of mischief in chemical work areas.
9. Never remove chemicals from the facility without proper authorization.
10. Be familiar with the location of emergency equipment - fire alarm, fire extinguisher, emergency eyewash and safety shower. Know the appropriate emergency response procedures.
11. Use equipment and hazardous chemicals only for their intended purposes.
12. Never mouth pipette chemicals when transferring solutions. Instead, you should always use a pipette bulb to transfer solutions.
13. Never return reagents to stock bottles.
14. Always lubricate glass tubing thermometers, or thistle tubes before inserting them into a stopper. Always wrap toweling around them while inserting into the stopper. (Keep your hands together in the process).
15. Use a hood whenever there is a possibility of poisonous or irritating fumes being emitted from the chemicals being utilized.
16. Never leave an experiment unattended while it is being heated or is rapidly reacting.
17. Keep equipment back from the edge of the lab bench to prevent spillage.
18. Support all beakers and flasks with clamps. Do not use cracked or chipped glassware.
19. Never use flames with volatile solvents.
20. Read all labels on chemicals twice before using them in the lab.
21. Report any accident, however minor, to your teaching assistant, research assistant, Principal Investigator or lab supervisor immediately.
2.2 EATING, DRINKING, AND SMOKING
Eating, drinking, smoking, gum chewing, applying cosmetics, and taking medicine in laboratories where hazardous chemicals are used is strictly prohibited.
1. Food, beverages, cups, and other drinking and eating utensils should not be stored in areas where hazardous chemicals are handled or stored. They should not be in the laboratory.
2. Glassware used for laboratory operations should never be used to prepare or consume food or beverages.
3. Laboratory refrigerators, ice chests, cold rooms, ovens, and so forth should not be used for food storage or preparation.
4. Laboratory water sources and deionized water should not be used for drinking water.
5. Laboratory chemicals should never be consumed or tasted.
6. Do not smoke in any chemical laboratory. Be aware that tobacco products in opened packages can absorb chemical vapors. For this reason laboratories will never be considered smoking areas.
2.3 In the event of a fire alarm.
If a fire alarm is sounded everyone should evacuate the building as soon
as possible. If a lab is in session, the instructor is responsible to
ensure that all bunson burners are turned off and that all students that
they are responsible for evacuate the building. If an individual has an
impairment that prohibits them from using the stairs and is in a classroom
or an office on any floor other than the ground floor, the faculty member,
if in a classroom, or a staff member, if in an office, is responsible
for assisting this individual to an area of refuge. Stairwell landings
are commonly used as areas of safe refuge because they are designed to
provide added protection from fire and smoke. After safely assisting the
individual to the stairwell, the faculty or staff member should exit the
building immediately and contact a member of the Fire Department or a
Public Safety Officer informing them of the location so a rescue can be
performed. Once out of the building, stay about 50 feet away until an
officer informs you that the emergency has been cleared.
2.4 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Every chemical at GSU must have a material safety data sheet, which specifies
the safety hazards, associated with the chemical and describes proper
disposal. All Primary Investigators (PI) must have a set of MSDS available
24 hours a day near their laboratory area or in the designated area of
the departmental. Public Safety will try to collect all MSDS for the whole
campus.
MSDS can also be found on the internet at http://www.usg.edu/ehs/ or http://avogadro.chem.iastate.edu/MSDS/ or http://msds.pdc.cornell.edu/msdssrch.asp . The Safety Committee is in the process of gathering MSDS' in the faculty resource room of the Science and Nursing Building. In the event that the Internet is down and an MSDS cannot be obtained off of the Internet these will serve as a backup and hard copy.
2.5 Labeling
All chemical containers must be labeled regarding the contents of the
container. The label should also indicate the date the solution was made
or received and the person making or receiving the solution.
All laboratories should labeled with an NFPA symbol as well as the person
responsible for the chemicals in that laboratory and what hazards will
be found in the laboratory.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) hazard ranking system
shows the type and the degree of a chemical hazard. The labels are diamond-shaped
and color-coded.
· Blue indicates the health hazard. Red indicates the fire hazard.
· Yellow indicates the reactivity hazard.
· White gives special information such as water or oxidizer incompatibility.
In each field, the degree of the hazard is rated from 0 to 4, with 4 being
the greatest hazard and 0 indicating no significant hazard.
2.6 Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety
1. Compressed gas cylinders must be secured at all times so they cannot
fall.
2. Valve safety covers should be on all cylinders not in use.
3. The name of the contents must be permanently attached to the cylinders.
4. Cylinders may only be moved on chain equipped hand trucks or carts
with the safety cap on. Cylinders should not be transported with the regulator
attached to the cylinder.
5. Do not attempt to repair cylinders or cylinder valves, or to force
stuck or frozen cylinder valves.
6. The cylinder valve is never to be opened or cracked without first attaching
the proper pressure regulator.
7. Cylinders should not be exposed to an open flame or to any temperature
above 125oF.
8. Oxygen cylinders (empty or full) in storage should be separated from
fuel-gas cylinders and combustible materials by a minimum distance of
20 feet or by a barrier at least 5 feet high having a fire-resistance
rating of at least one-half hour.
9. Flammable gas cylinders should not be stored with oxygen or nitrous
oxide cylinders or adjacent to oxygen charging facilities.
2.7 Safety Inspections
Safety Inspections are designed to identify areas in which safety can be improved and to ensure that safety equipment is in proper working order. Two types of inspections are currently being performed: annual and monthly. The annual form is different from the monthly inspection form.
The annual inspection is performed by the entire safety committee. This inspection is performed early in the academic year committee to ensure that the building and facilities are in proper working order for the coming academic year.
Monthly safety inspections are performed by a two-person team consisting of one person from the safety committee and one other member of the department. The inspection team is only responsible for inspection one floor of the chemistry portion of the Science and Nursing Building. The floor being inspected is rotated so that the entire building is inspected every quarter. Monthly inspections should be performed during the first week of the month. A copy of the inspection report should be sent to GSU Safety Officer in Public Safety. The original report should be filed in the chemistry office. If there are items needing attention, the Chemistry Stockroom personnel should be informed and a work order submitted to correct the deficiency.
Copies of the two safety inspection forms are given at the back of this safety manual.
3.1 HAZARDOUS WASTE
The GSU policy on hazardous waste can be found at: http://services.georgiasouthern.edu/ess/hazwaspol.php
All hazardous waste must be contained and disposed of properly and legally.
No hazardous waste goes down the sewer or into the normal trash containers.
All waste must be properly labeled and placed in a closed container. Hazardous
waste will be classified in the following categories:
1. Organic solvent: anything flammable, non-water soluble or containing
chlorine and with a neutral pH
2. Organic waste with a non-neutral pH
3. Corrosives: (pH less than 1 -strong acids or pH greater than 13 -strong
bases)
4. Heavy metals: aqueous solutions or solids with more than 1 ppm of the
following Hg, Ba, Se, As, Pb, Cr, Ag, Cd
STORAGE AND DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTE
1. Organic solvents with neutral pH will be collected in RED 5-gal jugs. The inventory sheet attached with this jug must be properly filled out with the name of the contents, amount, and date.
2. Organic waste with a non-neutral pH should be given directly to the Chairman of the Safety Committee. This waste is special and should be stored in a separate container from organic waste with a neutral pH.
3. Corrosive waste should be stored in WHITE jugs. These wastes should be disposed of into the sewer system AFTER it is neutralized. DO NOT dispose of corrosive waste into the sewer system prior to neutralization. See the chairman of the Safety Committee if assistance is needed to neutralize these solutions.
4. Heavy metal solutions with more than 1-ppm solute must be stored in WHITE waste jugs and the inventory sheet properly filled out with name of the contents, amount, and date. Heavy metal waste is stored in a white jug regardless of pH.
Indicate on the label the contents of the hazardous waste container.
5. Return the completed inventory to Francois Song at Public Safety
6. Gather your hazardous substances in a designated area.
7.Keep those hazardous substances in your refrigerator or under the hood
until picked up by Dr. Francois Song.
8. The chemistry department is not charged for waste disposal.
3.2 CHEMICAL HAZARDS
3.2.1 Mercury
This chemical is a silvery-white, heavy, odorless liquid whose vapors are extremely toxic and cumulative, but mercury is not very volatile at room temperature. A high degree of cleanliness should be maintained when utilizing the chemical in a laboratory environment. Any apparatus containing mercury should be placed under an exhaust hood and in a collecting tray.
1. Wash hands thoroughly after using mercury.
2. Use general or local exhausts ventilation to remove mercury vapor.
3. Wear safety goggles, face shields, lab coats, and rubber gloves.
4. Do not discard mercury into a sink. In case of a spill contact the departmental safety committee.
5. Mercury metal is incompatible with strong acids.
3.2.2 Sodium and Potassium Metal
1. Keep away from any possible contact with water. Sodium reacts violently with water.
2. Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.
3. Wear goggles, dry gloves and a lab coat when handling.
4. Incompatible with water and strong oxidizing agents.
5. This material will ignite above 43 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit); therefore avoid sudden rises in temperatures above those levels.
6. Keep containers closed tightly.
7. When opening a new container of sodium remove the tape to expose the screwcap lid. Unscrew the lid and then carefully puncture the seal and pry up to remove.
8. Potassium metal should not be kept for over three months. Even in mineral oil peroxides and superoxides may form which could become explosive when the potassium is exposed to the air.
Storage of Incompatible Chemicals
Certain hazardous chemicals cannot be safely mixed or stored with other chemicals because a severe reaction can take place or an extremely toxic reaction product can result. The labels and MSDSs for hazardous chemicals will contain information about their incompatibilities. The following is a table containing examples of incompatible chemicals.
3.2.3 LIST OF INCOMPATIBLE CHEMICALS (REACTIVE HAZARDS)
Substances in the left hand column should be stored and handled so that they cannot accidentally contact corresponding substances in the right hand column under uncontrolled conditions.
Acetic acid Chromic acid, nitric acid, peroxides, permanganates
Acetic anhydride Hydroxyl-containing compounds such as ethylene glycol, perchloric acid
Acetone Concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid mixtures, hydrogen peroxide
Acetylene Chlorine, bromine, copper, silver, fluorine, mercury Alkali
and alkaline earth metals
Carbon dioxide, carbon tetrachloride, other chlorinated hydrocarbons
Ammonia (anhydrous) Mercury, chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, iodine, bromine,
HF
Ammonium nitrate Acids, metal powders, flammable liquids, chlorates,
nitrites, sulfur,
Finely divided organics, combustibles
Aniline Nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide
Bromine Ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, butane, other petroleum gases,
sodium
carbide, turpentine, benzene, finely divided metals
Calcium oxide Water
Carbon, activated Calcium hypochlorite, other oxidants
Chlorates Ammonium salts, acids, metal powders, sulfur, finely divided organics, combustibles
Chromic acid and chromium trioxide
Acetic acid, naphthalene, camphor, glycerol, turpentine, alcohol, other
flammable liquids
Chlorine Ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, butane, other petroleum gases,
hydrogen, sodium carbide, turpentine, benzene, finely divided metals
Chlorine dioxide Ammonia, methane, phosphine, hydrogen sulfide
Copper Acetylene, hydrogen peroxide
Fluorine Isolate from everything
Hydrazine Hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, any other oxidant
Hydrocarbons (benzene, butane, propane, gasoline, turpentine, etc.)
Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, chromic acid, peroxides
Hydrocyanic acid Nitric acid, alkalis
Hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous) Hydrogen fluoride , Ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous)
Hydrogen peroxide Copper, chromium, iron, most metals or their salts,
any flammable
liquid, combustible materials, aniline, nitromethane
Hydrogen sulfide fuming nitric acid, oxidizing gases
Iodine Acetylene, ammonia (anhydrous or aqueous)
Mercury Acetylene, fulminic acid, ammonia
Nitric acid (concentrated)
Acetic acid, acetone, alcohol, aniline, chromic acid, hydrocyanic acid,
Hydrogen sulfide, flammable liquids, flammable gases, nitratable
substances
Nitroparaffins Inorganic bases, amines
Oxalic acid Silver, mercury and their salts
Oxygen Oils, grease, hydrogen, flammable liquids, solids, gases
Perchloric acid Acetic anhydride, bismuth and its alloys, alcohol, paper, wood, grease, oils (all organics)
Peroxides, organic Acids (organic or mineral), also avoid friction, store cold
Phosphorus (white) Air, oxygen
Phosphorus pentoxide Alcohols, strong bases, water
Potassium perchlorate Acids (see also chlorates)
Potassium permanganate
Glycerol, ethylene glycol, benzaldehyde, sulfuric acid
Silver and silver salts Acetylene, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, fulminic acid, ammonium compounds
Sodium nitrite Ammonium nitrate and other ammonium salts
Sodium peroxide Any oxidizable substance, such as ethanol, methanol,
glacial acetic
acid, acetic anhydride, benzaldehyde, carbon disulfide, glycerol,
ethylene glycol, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, furfural
Sulfuric acid Chlorates, perchlorates, permanganates
3.2.4 Materials Liable to Form Peroxides in Storage
The following materials may form peroxides in storage, when in contact
with air. Once the container is open, the material should be tested for
peroxides every six months. A peroxide-containing material constitutes
an explosive risk even though the risk is particularly serious when the
chemical is heated.
Acetal
Cumene
Cyclohexene
Cyclooctene
Decahydronaphthalene
Decalin
Diacetylene
Dicyclopentadiene
Diethyl ether
Diethylene glycol
Diisopropyl ether
Dimethyl ether
Dioxane
Divinyl acetylene
Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (glyme)
Isopropyl ether
Methyl acetylene
Sodium amide
Tetrahydrofuran
Tetrahydronaphthalene
Tetralin
Vinyl acetate
Vinylidene chloride
Enviromental Safety Services
- Georgia Southern University
P.O. Box 8072-01 Statesboro, Georgia 30460
(912)478-7161 | (912)478-7169
ess@georgiasouthern.edu