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Chemical Safety Last updated March 7, 2008 1:12 PM Hazardous chemicals are used in a wide variety of operations and activities here at Regulatory requirements for employees in laboratory areas and in non-laboratory areas are different. Use the links to the left of this page to select the information that addresses your work situation.
Chemical Safety Forms, Policies and Links of Interest Chemical Use in Non-Laboratory Areas Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) Respiratory Protection Information Requirements for labeling of chemicals are different for laboratories as compared to the requirements for non-laboratory areas. Check the respective information for your situation from the links on the left side of this page. One of the requirements manufacturers have when they supply the chemicals you buy is to put a proper and complete label on the container. By law, they must indicate the name of the product and list the hazardous ingredients present. The label must also provide information regarding the hazards associated with using the material. This is often done both with text information as well as with symbols. There are two common symbols used on labels to quickly provide information of the relative hazards of a material. One is called the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) warning diamond, which appears below as Figure 1. The other is the Hazard Materials Information System (HMIS) system, which appears below as Figure 2. Both systems use a numerical rating of hazards in each of three sections (health hazard, fire/flammability hazard and reactivity hazard). The key to the hazards associated with the numerical ratings is provided below. Figure 1 Figure 2
OSHA Lab Standard The use of hazardous materials in laboratory areas is addressed by the OSHA Laboratory Standard "Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories." This standard mandates the preparation of a Chemical Hygiene Plan consisting of specific policies and procedures addressing the requirements of the regulation. Laboratory Inspections The Department of Environmental Health and Safety inspects all laboratory areas once per year. Help ensure a successful inspection by reviewing the inspection criteria in the Laboratory Inspection Form. Laboratory Inspection Form - Lab Standard Laboratory Inspection Form - Haz Com Particularly Hazardous Substances The OSHA Laboratory Standard specifies that special precautions be taken when Particularly Hazardous Substances (PHS) are used in the laboratory. At Carnegie Mellon, we require the preparation of a written procedure for the use and handling of a PHS in a laboratory. This should be prepared using the PHS Protocol/Procedure Form developed by the Laboratory Safety Committee. A copy of this procedure must be supplied to EH&S. To help you identify PHS materials in your laboratory, read the applicable section of the Chemical Hygiene Plan, and refer to the PHS Listing provided here. Fume Hoods The primary control for protecting laboratory employees from exposure to chemical hazards in the lab is the fume hood. Carnegie Mellon University has developed a Fume Hood Policy to ensure that fume hoods are properly used and maintained. Chemical Use in Non-Laboratory Areas OSHA Hazard Communication Standard Employees who use hazardous materials in non-laboratory settings at the university are covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard. To read the OSHA regulation, check this link: There are a number of things the university does to comply with this standard: 1. There is a written Hazard Communication Program prepared by the university and accessible to all persons covered by the regulation. This document is available at this link: 2. The university requires all covered employees to receive Hazard Communication training as part of their duties. EH&S provides this training regularly; contact them to arrange for training. The training outlines the requirements of the standard, the details of how to identify hazardous materials in your area and how to store, use and dispose of them properly. A reference handout is supplied with all training, to be retained by the student for future reference. 3. The standard requires that all chemical containers be labeled with the identity of the material and the hazards associated with it. While original manufacturer’s containers have an appropriate label already in place, we must label our own secondary containers (that is, subsequent containers the hazardous materials are placed into, such as routine use bottles, wash bottles, or containers for mixtures or dilutions of chemicals.) Contact EH&S for Right-to-Know style labels, similar to those found on original manufacturer’s containers. For information on reading the numerical hazard symbols, check your training handout. 4. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are required to be accessible for all hazardous chemicals in your work place. The university supplies links to many internet MSDS sites from the EH&S webpage. You should have access to these from your work area. Alternatively, you supervisors may have arranged for all MSDS for the chemicals in your area to be present as paper copies. Your supervisor should indicate the location of the MSDS for your work location, if this is the case. If you are unable to find an MSDS from either source (paper copy or internet), contact EH&S. 5. Your chemical inventory should be accessible to you in one of two ways. It may be present as a paper copy posted in your work area. Ask you supervisor if this is the case. Alternatively, the inventory may be present on a computer in your area through the Chemtracker program. Your supervisor will indicate is this is the case and will identify who in your area can access the information. Chemtracker will also print your inventory for posting. 6. The department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) routinely inspects chemical use areas to ensure compliance with the Hazard Communication Standard. EH&S is available to address any questions of problems you may have regarding the use of hazardous materials in your work area. Contact them at 8-8182. Many gases have hazardous attributes, such as being poisonous, causing asphyxiation, supporting fires, or having other dangerous properties. When these gases are compressed in containers, their high pressure adds a special hazard to their use and storage. Carnegie Mellon has developed Compressed Gas Policies and Procedures addressing the safe handling of compressed gases.
A Carnegie Mellon Emergency Response Guidebook should be present in all areas where hazardous materials (chemical, biological or radiation) are present on campus. This guidebook outlines emergency procedures in a clear, graphical fashion, for incidents such as chemical, biological or radiological spills or personal contamination. It also addresses emergency response procedures for fires. If you need a copy of this guidebook, contact the Environmental Health and Safety office. You can down load the information from the guidebook at the link below. The Carnegie Mellon Laboratory Safety Committee was developed to address on-going laboratory safety issues on campus. The committee consists of representatives of all departments where laboratories are present, as well as representatives from Environmental Health and Safety. The committee meets every two months. Contact EH&S for information on the committee.
A critical aspect of working safely with hazardous materials is the proper selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE). All PPE should be carefully selected to ensure that it is appropriate for the hazards present and that the users will be able to perform their work in reasonable comfort wearing the protective equipment. Gloves Protective gloves should be worn whenever there is the potential for skin damage or absorption through the skin when using a hazardous chemical. The gloves should be of a material appropriate for the chemical in question. Information as to appropriate materials is available in safety equipment catalogues from which gloves may be purchased. Care should be taken to ensure that the gloves fit properly ("one-size-fits-all" seldom does!) Also, an individual's susceptibility to latex allergies should be considered when selecting gloves. Eyewear Protective eyewear is required to be worn in any situation where there is a potential for damage to the eye. These situations include protection from flying debris, protection from chemical splashes, and protection from hazardous radiation such as lasers or ultraviolet light such as that often produced in welding operations. It is critical that the proper protective eyewear be selected for use. Protective eyewear must offer appropriate protection from the hazards presented. For example, safety glasses do not offer sufficient protection from chemical splashes--goggles or safety shields are indicated for that use. When dealing with chemical splashes, be sure the eyewear offers NO opportunity for chemical entry, such as often occurs with poorly placed ventilation holes. In the case of protection from radiation, the eyewear must not only address the specific wavelength of the radiation but also offer sufficient protection from the power or intensity of the radiation. Contact EH&S at 8-8182 for further assistance in selecting protective eyewear. Respiratory Protection Approved respirator use is strictly limited at Carnegie Mellon, permitted only for those approved for use by EH&S. Refer to Respiratory Protection for further information.
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