Lab safety

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Laboratory Safety Manual Chemical Safety,
Biological Safety

• Rubeshan S

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• Principles and practices employed to protect
  laboratory personnel and the environment from
  exposure or infection while working with
  chemicals, biological materials, or agents.

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How do toxic materials enter the body?

• By mouth (contaminated fingers, pen!)
• By breathing in gases, aerosols or powder
• By skin contact or damage
• By absorption through intact skin
• By splashes into the eyes

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Wear appropriate protective clothing

• Sandals and open-toed shoes do not protect your
  feet
• Also, leather shoes protect your feet from
  chemical spills canvas shoes do not.

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Do not apply cosmetics, eat, or drink in the lab.
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Wash your hands with soap and water before leaving

• This rule applies even if you have been wearing
  gloves!

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Know the safety equipments
Eye wash fountain Safety shower Fire
extinguisher Emergency exits
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Staying safe means that you

• Read labels on containers of chemicals
• Read Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• Handle chemicals with care
• Use correct protective clothing and equipment
• Remember emergency procedures

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Chemical spillage

• A small spill (less than 1000 ml) can be
  cleaned up safely with the spill kit provided at
  laboratories. There are a number of laboratory
  personnel who have been trained to handle spills
  (Spill Response Team). All spills of hazardous
  chemicals should be reported.
• If the spill is too large to clean up safely or
  if employees have been injured or areas have been
  contaminated, follow procedures as stated in SOP
  447C of OHSAS 18001 2007 SOP Manual.

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Chemical Waste Disposal

• The handling, collection, treatment and disposal
  of chemical waste are controlled by the
  Environmental Quality (Schedule Wastes)
  Regulations 2005.
• Chemical waste should be stored in containers of
  suitable design.
• Check the label and discard the appropriate waste
  into a designated container to avoid any mixing
  of incompatible waste.
• An inventory of the types and quantities of
  chemical waste being stored should be kept and
  regularly updated.
• A suitable area should be provided for temporary
  storage of chemical waste before collection.
• Refer SOP 446E of OHSAS 18001 SOP Manual for
  details

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Common chemical hood misconception

• Myth - When working with highly hazardous
  materials, the higher the face velocity the
  better
• While it is important to have a face velocity
  between 100 and 125 fpm, velocities higher than
  this are actually harmful. When face velocity
  exceeds 125 fpm eddy currents are created which
  allow contaminants to be drawn out of the hood,
  increasing worker exposures.
• Myth - A chemical hood can be used for storage of
  volatile, flammable, or odiferous materials when
  an appropriate storage cabinet is not available.
• Hoods are not designed for permanent chemical
  storage. Each item placed on the work surface
  interferes with the directional airflow, causing
  turbulence and eddy currents that allow
  contaminants to be drawn out of the hood.

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Corrosives

• Corrosives react at the point of contact to cause
  eye or tissue damage. Corrosives include acids
  and bases and other chemicals such as phenol.  
• Use splash goggles and heavy weight gloves
  resistant to the chemical used and its
  concentration.  
• A face shield, resistant apron and boots may
  also be appropriate, depending on the work
  performed.  
• Slowly add acids or bases to water. 
• Segregate acids from bases. 
• Segregate inorganic and organic acids. 
• Segregate oxidizing acids (nitric, perchloric and
  chromic) from all other materials.     
• Perchloric acid use may result in the formation
  of explosive perchloric acid salts. Perchloric
  acid procedures must only be performed in
  approved laboratory fume hoods.
• Store large bottles low to the ground-at least
  below eye level.

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Flammables

• Flammable materials have a flash point of less
  than or equal to 37.8ºC (100ºF). Combustible
  materials have a flash point greater than 37.8ºC.
  Vapour from these materials can reach remote
  ignition sources, causing flashback fires.
  Vapours ignite easily at room temperature.
  Examples include alcohols, esters, ketones,
  ethers, and pyrophorics.
• Store flammable liquids in approved flammable
  storage cabinets or approved flammable storage
  areas
• Keep away from heat, sun, flame, and spark
  sources.
• Separate flammable solids from other hazard
  classes.
• Use flammable liquids in a fume hood

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Organic Peroxides

• Organic peroxides may react with organic material
  resulting in fires or explosions. Organic
  peroxides are highly flammable and extremely
  sensitive to heat, friction, impact, and light,
  as well as to strong oxidizing and reducing
  agents. In addition, organic peroxides may
  destabilize with age, contamination or improper
  storage to become self reactive. Common
  laboratory organic peroxides include benzoyl
  peroxide, butyl peroxide.

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Oxidizers
Toxics
Peroxide-Forming Chemicals
Water Reactives Chemicals
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Sharps Safety

• A high degree of precaution must always be taken
  with any sharp items used in the laboratory,
  including needles and syringes, glass slides and
  cover slips, Pasteur pipettes, capillary tubes,
  as well as broken glass, and scalpels, blades,
  and knives. Sharps must be disposed of in an
  approved sharps container. Sharps containers may
  never be placed in the normal waste stream or
  used for any purpose other than sharps disposal.
• Sharps containers have to be
• Puncture Resistant
• Clearly marked
• Within easy reach of the work station
• Filled to no more than 3/4 capacity
• Sealed (i.e. capped or taped) prior to transport

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HEPA High Efficiency Particulate Air
HEPA 99.97 - at 0.3 microns
Particle Size Comparison
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Working in a Biological Safety Cabinet

• Review all procedures and work to be done
• Verify BSC is operating correctly
• Clean the interior surface
• Define work area 4 5 inches behind front grill
• 5 minute run before starting
• PPE
• Avoid rapid arm movements
• Organise work
• Container for waste

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Spills in BSC

• Handled immediately
• Contain spills
• Splatter immediately cleaned
• Cleanup materials biohazard
• After cleaning, run BSC 3-5 minutes
• Large spills Extensice cleaning and professional
  handling

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Spill of Human Blood Wear gloves and a lab
coat to clean up spills. Absorb blood with
paper towels and discard in a biohazard waste
container. Using a dilute bleach solution,
clean the spill site of all visible blood.
Wipe the spill site with paper towels soaked in a
disinfectant such as household bleach diluted
110. Discard all contaminated materials into
a biohazard waste container. Wash hands with
soap and water.
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