|
Eye protection used? |
Eye protection is required during chemical and glassware
use. While safety glasses with side shields protect
against injury from flying particles they do not provide
complete protection against splashes and sprays.
Consequently, goggles are recommended in situations
where splashing or spraying may occur. A face shield
worn over splash goggles should be worn when using large
volumes, highly corrosive materials, or when the
procedure may result in a violent reaction. |
| Protective clothing
used? |
Protective clothing
not only keeps street clothes from becoming soiled; it
provides an additional layer of protection against skin
exposures. In laboratories where hazardous chemicals are
in use, appropriate laboratory coats (buttoned with
sleeves rolled down) or laboratory aprons shall be worn
to protect the skin and clothing. |
|
Gloves used? |
Gloves appropriate to the hazard must be used at all
times to protect against chemical burns and skin
absorption. Proper glove selection is vital, as there is
no glove effective against all classes of chemicals.
When selecting gloves refer to permeation and
degradation data provided by glove manufacturers or seek
assistance from the Center for Environmental Health and
Safety (CEHS). |
| Feet entirely
covered? |
Shoes that fully
cover the feet are necessary to protect against spilled
or splashed chemicals. Steel toed shoes may be necessary
in areas where mechanical work is being done or when
moving heavy objects. Protective shoe covers may be
required for work with especially hazardous materials or
during spill clean-up. |
|
Chemical spill kit available? |
CEHS recommends that appropriate spill cleanup materials
are available in each area where chemicals are used. In
addition, a HF spill control kit is required in all
areas using or storing hydrofluoric acid. Cleanup
materials must be sufficient to contain the hazard type
and volume of materials being used. While CEHS does
respond to all types of spills, response times are not
immediate. Some units may have more centralized areas
for spill cleanup materials (i.e., stockroom) while
others maintain smaller supplies in each lab. Please
ensure that spill cleanup material is easily accessible
and that all staff is informed as to their location and
proper use. |
| Areas clean and free
from spills? |
Personnel in a
well-maintained work area clean up chemical spills at
the time of their release. Even small spills must be
cleaned up immediately since they can add to personal
exposures through inhalation or skin absorption.
Biologically, small exposures to a multitude of
chemicals can interact in unpredictable ways over the
span of a working lifetime. Contamination from bench
tops can spread beyond the laboratory. Consequently,
CEHS personnel will look for evidence of unattended
chemical spills in the inspection area.
In addition, Illinois state law requires that some
chemical spill materials be treated as a special waste;
some spill materials may fall under hazardous waste
regulations. Thus, chemical spill cleanup materials must
be properly disposed of as of hazardous waste. Contract
CEHS for disposal of these materials. |
|
Food and drink forbidden in laboratory and signs posted? |
Storage and use of food, drink or other consumable
products is strictly prohibited in any area where
chemicals, biologicals, or radiologic agents are used or
stored. These items can easily become contaminated from
airborne materials. Surface contamination can
contaminate hands and eating surfaces. Handling food or
contact lenses, smoking cigarettes, or applying
cosmetics will then carry these harmful substances into
the body. |
| Training
requirements met? |
Many federal and
Illinois state regulations required training of
personnel working in laboratories. Generators of
chemical waste must receive annual training in hazardous
waste procedures (spill cleanup, etc.); laboratory
workers must receive chemical safety training; people
working with radioactive materials must have special
training, and those manipulating human blood or other
potentially infectious material must receive annual
bloodborne pathogens training. Personnel falling under
these regulations include faculty, staff, graduate
assistants and student employees. As the Center serves
as the central repository of all safety training records
on campus, copies of any internal training records
should be forwarded to CEHS. The Center is also
available to assist with or conduct required training
sessions. |
|
Aisles uncluttered and w/o tripping hazard? |
Back injuries arising from slipping or tripping are
among the most common injuries in laboratories. Slipping
or tripping while transporting chemical containers can
result in a chemical spill and splash exposure. |
| Exits free and
unobstructed? |
Obstructed exits can
hinder the exit of occupants in an emergency situation
and can also hinder or endanger emergency response
personnel. In most cases, two means of egress are
required to prevent entrapment during a fire or other
emergency. |
|
Fire extinguishers available and unobstructed? |
Since fires are one of the most common types of
laboratory accidents, fire extinguishers are required in
all chemical laboratories. Fire extinguishers underneath
labcoats, hidden behind refrigerators, or otherwise
blocked cannot be located or reached during the vital
seconds following initiation of a fire, when
extinguishing efforts are most likely to be effective.
For these reasons, fire extinguishers must be
prominently located and easily accessible. Fire
extinguisher locations must be within 50 feet of the
hazardous area.
In the event of a fire always remember to pull the
fire alarm and call 911 from a safe location. Only apply
one fire extinguisher to a fire. Situations not remedied
after this 30-second period require professional fire
fighting assistance. Close the laboratory door, pull the
alarm and exit the building. |
| Fire Extinguisher
Types Appropriate to Hazards? |
Fire extinguishers
are required in all chemical laboratories. For most
situations, carbon dioxide, dry chemical, or
multipurpose (ABC) fire extinguishers are appropriate.
Areas where flammable metals are stored must have a
Class D fire extinguisher selected for the particular
metal or other appropriate media. |
|
Eyewash station available and working? |
Eyewash stations are required where corrosive materials
are in use. They must be located within 100 feet (or 10
seconds travel time) of the hazard. Water flow and spray
direction must allow for simultaneous irrigation of both
eyes. Portable eyewash stations are not recommended and
cannot be used in place of fixed stations since they are
incapable of flushing both eyes simultaneously and
cannot supply copious amounts of water. Laboratory staff
on a weekly basis should flush eyewashers. |
| Shower available and
accessible? |
Safety showers are
required where hazardous materials are present. As with
eyewash stations, a safety shower blocked by
refrigerators, carts or other items is unavailable in
the event of an emergency. The immediate availability of
a safety shower is necessary for first aid treatment of
chemical splashes and for extinguishing clothing fires.
Safety showers must be located within 100 feet (or 10
seconds travel time) of the hazard. Safety showers
should be flushed and tested at least annually. |
|
Plugs grounded on electrical equipment? |
Grounding prongs on electrical appliances and extension
cords must remain intact. Ungrounded plugs can cause
shocks, and can ignite flammable chemicals. |
| Machine guards on
shafts, pulleys, etc.? |
Machine guards must
be on shafts, pulleys, etc., to guard against loose
clothing or hair becoming entangled in equipment. Loss
of fingers, scalping, and strangulation are common
consequences of entanglement in unguarded equipment. |
|
Warning signs posted? |
At
least one Emergency Contingency Plan sign must be posted
in all areas where hazardous chemicals are used or
stored. These signs are available from CEHS and must be
completed properly before being posted. Other required
signs include refrigerator storage, radiation,
biohazard, etc. Workers are responsible for ensuring
that signs remain in place and visible. |
| Gas cylinders
properly secured? |
Compressed gas
cylinders contain explosive amounts of potential energy.
Unsecured cylinders can be easily toppled. Here at SIUC,
these cylinders are in a particularly precarious
situation since we are in an earthquake zone. If the
valve on a falling cylinder snaps, the cylinder will
become a missile, tearing through the laboratory and
building. Compressed gas cylinders damaged in this way
have been known to destroy labs before breaking through
concrete block walls and traveling considerable
distances. Properly secured cylinders are attached to a
stationary object (such as a bench top, wall, etc.) with
a chain, strong strap, or other commercially available
device. |
|
Containers securely closed? |
Chemical containers must be securely closed when not in
use. Hazardous waste containers must be closed with a
screw type lid during all times when waste is not being
added. Alternative caps such as ground glass stoppers or
parafilm on waste containers are prohibited. |
| No containers
compromised? |
Chemical containers
must be kept in good condition and free of leaks or
other perforations. Materials in compromised containers
must be transferred to a new, compatible (i.e.,
non-reactive) container, or placed in an overpack
container for chemical waste disposal. |
|
Containers properly labeled? |
Laboratory Areas
Ensure labels on incoming containers of hazardous
chemicals are not removed or defaced. Label all
secondary containers with the chemical name and
appropriate hazards. Make sure all labels are legible.
Non-Laboratory Areas
All containers, including squirt bottles and other
transfer containers not under direct control, must bear
a label identifying the contents by chemical name (not
chemical formula), hazard category (flammable, toxic,
reactive, corrosive, oxidizer) and target organ(s).
Hazardous Waste (both lab and non-lab)
All hazardous waste containers must have attached the
red hazardous waste label available from CEHS and
contain the name(s) of chemicals in the container.
Non-regulated Chemicals (both lab and non-lab)
Label in a way that identifies the containers
contents. |
| Current chemical
inventory available? |
A written inventory
of all chemicals currently held in the work area must be
maintained and readily available. While all chemicals
must be listed, the quantities held can be approximated. |
|
Peroxide formers dated when received and opened; and
disposed of or tested after expiration? |
All peroxide-forming chemicals must be dated upon
receipt. Additionally, if the chemical is a known
peroxide-former the container must be labeled with the
date it was opened and an expiration date. After the
expiration date, the container must be disposed of
through CEHS or checked for the presence of peroxides.
If peroxides are present, the container must be reported
to CEHS for chemical waste disposal; if peroxides are
not present, a new expiration date must be established.
A list of common peroxide forming chemicals is available
from CEHS. |
| Flammables away from
sources of ignition? |
Ignition sources
include electrical outlets and light sockets, as well as
heat and flame. Only specially designed flammable
storage refrigerators can be used to chill flammable
chemicals. Electrical outlets and power strips must be
confined to the exterior of fume hoods when flammable
liquids are in use. Use of open flame must be limited to
areas free of flammable vapors or flashback risk. |
|
Chemicals stored at or below eye level? |
Chemicals should not be stored where they will be hard
to see or reach. This is particularly true of large (4
liter or larger) glass bottles. |
| Shelves fitted with
containment devices? |
In seismically
active regions, shelving shall contain a front-edge lip
to prevent containers from falling. While such a
containment device will not prevent chemical spills
during a large earthquake, it will help prevent
containers from vibrating off shelves during the more
frequent, smaller seismic events. |
|
Chemicals segregated and stored properly? |
To
prevent uncontrolled reactions from taking place during
an emergency situation, chemicals must be segregated
according to hazard class with incompatible chemicals
separated. Chemical wastes should be kept in an area
designated by a "Hazardous Waste Satellite Accumulation
Area" sign. Waste containers should be stored separately
from product containers. Use of storage bins is
encouraged, as they will serve as secondary containment
should a container break. Never separate chemicals
solely on an alphabetical basis. A quick chemical
storage rule of thumb is to separate flammables and
other solvents, oxidizers, inorganic acids, organic
acids, inorganic bases and organic bases. A more
comprehensive chemical segregation scheme is available
from CEHS. |
| Glass bottles stored
above or off floor? |
Tripping over
bottles of chemicals stored on laboratory floors can
lead to injury from both the fall and chemical exposure. |
|
Department Chemical Hygiene Plan available? |
Each department is responsible for writing and
implementing a Chemical Hygiene Plan that outlines safe
laboratory practices and procedures. A model Chemical
Hygiene Plan is available on the CEHS website and CEHS
will assist in completing the plan specific to your
laboratory. |
| Pickup request forms
submitted for chemical waste? |
All hazardous waste
must be sent off-site for disposal within 90 days of its
generation. The generation date is considered the date
the waste container is full or the date the Chemical
Pickup request form was completed. It is imperative that
CEHS be notified once one of the above factors has been
met so waste collection can begin. CEHS personnel will
look for any waste containers that are full or
duplicated (i.e., two containers half full of the same
waste) and will check that accumulation dates are in
conformance with requirements. |
|
Proper storage and disposal of sharps? |
All sharps must be stored and disposed of properly to
protect personnel from inadvertent exposure to toxic
chemicals and pathogens, and mechanical injury. Needles,
scalpels, Pasteur pipettes, etc. must be placed inside a
sharps container available from CEHS. Broken glass must
be placed into a puncture resistant, appropriately,
marked container. Broken glass and other sharp items
inappropriately placed into the regular trash are
frequent cause of injury and concern to custodial staff. |
| BSC certification? |
Biological safety
cabinets used with Biosafety Level 2 or higher organisms
must be tested and certified on a yearly basis. Before
removal of the HEPA filter or relocation of the cabinet,
interior spaces must be thoroughly decontaminated.
Please contact CEHS before moving or servicing a
biosafety cabinet. |
|
Exposure Control Plan? |
Each employer having an employee(s) with occupational
exposure, defined as reasonably anticipated skin, eye,
mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or
other potentially infectious materials that may result
from the performance of an employee's duties, shall
establish a written Exposure Control Plan designed to
eliminate or minimize employee exposure. CEHS has a
general Exposure Control Plan available to departments
for adoption to your specific laboratory. |
| MUA for Biologicals? |
If your teaching or
research involves potentially hazardous biological
materials or recombinant DNA, you must submit a
Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement (MUA) to the
Institutional Biosafety Oversight Committee. Any
biological materials which present a risk to the
well-being of humans, animals, or plants, either
directly or indirectly, are considered hazardous. |
