West Virginia University Laboratory Training Module 4' Chemical Safety

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West Virginia University Laboratory Training
Module 4. Chemical Safety
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Topics to be covered

• Chemical Waste Disposal
• Emergency Response
• Chemical Spills

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1. Chemical Waste Disposal

• Complete the online Hazardous Chemical Disposal
  form at http//www.wvu.edu/ehs
• If you have questions contact Environmental
  Health and Safety (EHS) at 293-3792.
• EHS will pick up the unwanted chemicals.
• Chemicals, in containers, must be compatible and
  labeled with the common name of each chemical (no
  formulas)

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Chemical Waste Disposal Continued

• Chemical containers should be no more than 95
  full to allow for expansion and must have a screw
  cap closure or equivalent.
• WVU has a licensed contractor to transport and
  properly dispose of hazardous chemical waste

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Storage of Waste Chemicals

• Waste chemical must be stored in a compatible
  manner. A typical segregation of waste chemicals
  involve the following
• Acids
• Caustics
• Chlorinated Solvents
• Non-chlorinated Solvents
• Mercury Wastes
• Oxidizing Agents
• PCB Wastes
• Reactive Wastes
• Waste Oil
• Wastes with Heavy Metal Contamination
• These chemicals need to be accumulated in
  separate containers and isolated in such a way to
  isolate spills and leaks from each other.

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Characteristics of Hazardous Waste

• If a waste meets one or more of the following
  four characteristics it is considered a
  hazardous waste for the purposes of disposal
• 1. Ignitable
• 2. Corrosive
• 3. Reactive
• 4. Toxic

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Ignitability

• Any liquid having a flashpoint of less than 140
  degrees F is an ignitable material. This
  includes almost all organic solvents.
• Compressed gas (propane, methane, etc.).

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Ignitability continued

• Oxidizers (e.g., potassium nitrate, sodium
  nitrite)
• It is not a liquid and is capable, under standard
  temperature and pressure, of causing fire through
  friction, absorption of moisture, or spontaneous
  chemical changes and, when ignited, burns so
  vigorously and persistently that it creates a
  hazard.

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Corrosivity

• Any aqueous material having a pH less than or
  equal to 2.0 or greater than or equal to 12.5 is
  a corrosive material.
• Any liquid or solid, which corrodes steel at a
  rate greater than 0.25 inch per year.
• All common organic and mineral acids are
  considered corrosives. Common bases such as
  solid sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide
  are also corrosive.

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Reactivity

• Reacts violently with water or forms potentially
  explosive mixtures with water or, when mixed with
  water forms toxic vapor or fumes.
• Can form hydrogen cyanide or hydrogen sulfide gas
  when exposed to pH conditions between 2 and 12.5.
• Readily capable of detonation or explosive
  decomposition if it is subjected to a strong
  initiating source or is heated under confinement.

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Toxicity

• Any waste product is considered TCLP toxic by
  RCRA regulations if it contains any one of 40
  named metals, solvents or pesticides in specific
  quantities. Regulated quantities are in
  fractions of, or parts per million.

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Chemicals found under the Toxicity characteristic
and are regulated in parts per million
concentration

• Metals
• Arsenic
• Barium
• Cadmium
• Chromium
• Lead
• Mercury
• Selenium
• Silver

• Organics
• Benzene
• Carbon tetrachloride
• Chlorobenzene
• Chloroform
• Cresol
• Dichloroethane
• Methyl ethyl ketone
• Nitrobenzene
• Pyridine

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toxic metal-containing compounds used at WVU

• Barium hydroxide
• Nickel chloride
• Cacodylic acid
• Osmium tetroxide
• Cadmium chlorid
• Potassium dichromate
• Chromic acid

• Selenous acid
• Copper sulfate
• Silver (used photography fixer)
• Lead subacetate
• Sodium arsenate
• Mercuric nitrate
• Sodium cacodylate

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Segregation of Chemical Waste

• Chemical waste must be segregated in such a
  manner that only chemically compatible wastes are
  allowed to be mixed together.

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The following guidelines must be followed when
collecting solid chemical waste

• Segregate and collect solid chemical waste
  according to their compatibilities. Contact EHS
  for guidance.
• Do not mix solid waste and liquid waste. Collect
  these wastes separately.
• Label the chemical with the chemical IUPAC name
  and concentration.
• Needles, syringes, and sharps must be collected
  separately in a plastic needle discard container.
  

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Incompatible Chemical Mixtures

• Caution and common sense must be used when
  collecting chemical waste in the laboratory so
  that incompatible materials are not mixed
  together. Empty waste containers should be
  properly rinsed if they held a material, which is
  incompatible with the waste to be collected.

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The following dangerous chemical mixtures must be
avoided

• Acid mixed with most cyanide salts or solutions
  generate highly toxic hydrogen cyanide gas.
• Acid mixed with most sulfide salts or solutions
  generate highly toxic hydrogen sulfide gas.
• Acid mixed with bleach generates highly toxic
  chlorine gas.
• Oxidizing acids (e.g., nitric, perchloric) react
  violently with combustible materials (paper,
  common solvents) and may cause a fire.
• Solid oxidizers (e.g., nitrates, iodates,
  permanganates) react with combustible materials
  (paper, common solvents) and may cause a fire.
• Hydrides (e.g., sodium hydride) react with water
  to form flammable hydrogen gas.

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Dangerous chemical mixtures that must be avoided
continued

• Phosphides (e.g., sodium phosphide) react with
  water to form highly toxic phosphine gas.
• When silver salts are mixed with ammonia in the
  presence of a strong base, an explosively
  unstable solid is generated.
• Alkali metals (e.g., sodium, potassium, calcium,
  etc.,) react with water to form flammable
  hydrogen gas.
• Oxidizers (e.g., nitric acid) react with reducers
  (e.g., hydrazine) to yield fires or explosions.
• Unsaturated compounds (carbonyls, double bonds,
  etc.) may polymerize violently in the presence of
  acids or bases.
• Hydrogen peroxide/acetone mixtures may explode
  when heated in the presence of acid.
• Hydrogen peroxide/acetic acid solutions may
  explode when heated.
• Hydrogen peroxide/sulfuric acid mixtures are
  susceptible to spontaneous and unpredictable
  chemical detonation.

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Materials Prohibited in the Chemical Waste Stream

• 1. Radioactive Materials
• 2. Uranium Compounds (uranyl acetate, uranyl
  nitrite)
• 3. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls, arochlor,
  chlorextol, chlorodiphenyl)
• 4. Infectious Waste or Etiological Agents (human
  blood, serum, body fluids, etc.)
• 5. Dioxin Waste (TCDD, pentachlorophenol, tri-
  and tetrachlorophenol)
• 6. Asbestos

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Guidelines which must be followed when collecting
chemical waste

• Containers must be clearly labeled with the IUPAC
  chemical name (no abbreviations) and
  concentration.
• Unused chemical reagents in original containers
  with intact labels need no further labeling.
• Chemical waste containers must be sealed airtight
  with a proper lid. Rubber stoppers, corks, and
  parafilm are not allowed.

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Continued

• An air gap of 5-10 must be left in the container
  to allow for expansion of the liquid.
• Before collecting waste in a used container,
  rinse the container.
• Chemical waste must be collected in a chemically
  compatible container to prevent the chemical from
  dissolving the container. For example, if waste
  acetic acid is collected in a steel container,
  the acid will soon corrode the containers wall
  and an unwanted leak will occur. The original
  container that a chemical was shipped in is a
  good container to collect the waste.

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Empty Chemical Container Disposal Procedure

• Empty chemical containers that held a material,
  which was flammable, corrosive, reactive, or
  toxic, must be picked up by EHS. Fill out the
  chemical waste to request a pickup.
  Non-hazardous containers may be discarded in the
  domestic trash as long as they are not made of
  glass. Empty non-hazardous containers may be
  discarded in the regular trash.

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Gas Cylinders

• Empty gas cylinders and lecture bottles present a
  special disposal problem because it is not always
  obvious when they are empty. Contact EHS for
  assistance.
• Remember gas cylinders must be stored in an
  upright position and secured to prevent falls!

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Trace Contaminated Waste (Carcinogen, Mutagen,
Toxic)

• Laboratory chemicals, which are extremely toxic,
  or are a potent mutagen, teratogen or carcinogen
  must be handled in a manner that minimizes
  personal exposures.

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Trace Contaminated Waste (Carcinogen, Mutagen,
Toxic)

• Laboratory workers must identify which chemicals
  they work with are hazardous. A Material Safety
  Data Sheet (MSDS) should be consulted for each
  chemical so a proper assessment can be made
  regarding its toxicity.
• Trace contaminated wastes should be collected for
  materials that have been in contact with
  chemicals that are carcinogenic, potent mutagens,
  or are extremely toxic.
• Contact EHS for waste disposal advice before
  actually collecting trace contaminated waste
  products. EHS will help you determine whether
  these waste products warrant special collection.

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Continued

• When collecting trace contaminated waste the
  following guidelines apply
• Collect solid and liquid waste separately.
• Collect syringes and sharps in plastic needle
  buckets. Dispose full buckets into infectious
  waste stream.
• Collect trace contaminated waste separately from
  all other wastes.
• All waste must be collected in airtight
  containers. Properly label all waste containers.
• Dispose of all trace contaminated waste through
  EHS.

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Universal Waste

• As part of the EPAs commitment to reduce waste,
  the Agency has issued the Universal Waste Rule.
  This rule has been designed to reduce the amount
  of material that is being disposed of as
  hazardous waste. It includes
• Nickel-cadmium batteries
• Lead-acid batteries
• Some agricultural pesticides
• Thermostats
• Fluorescent Bulbs

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Batteries

• Most batteries can be recycled by sending them
  back to the company or using a recycling
  facility. Please contact EHS for information
  regarding recycling.
• Each battery must be clearly marked as Universal
  Waste Batteries, or Used Batteries with the
  date.
• Leaking or damaged batteries must be stored in a
  closed, structurally sound container, with
  secondary containment.
• Have the batteries collected by or deliver them
  to an authorized battery recycler.

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Fluorescent Lamps

• A variety of vendors are available in many areas
  to recycle fluorescent light bulbs. Please
  contact Environmental Health and Safety for a
  list of recycling companies.
• Fluorescent lamps must be must be labeled
  Universal Waste Electric Lamps or Used Lamps
  with the date on which your first began storing
  the lamps.
• Lamps must be packaged in a way to minimize
  breakage and to prevent release of lamp fragments
  if breakage were to occur. Store unbroken lamps
  in a box or fiber drum.
• Have the lamps collected by an authorized
  universal waste handler within one year of the
  date marked on the container.
• Broken or damaged bulbs will be treated as
  hazardous waste. All the spill debris from
  broken or damaged bulbs must be cleaned up and
  placed into a sealed bag. Please contact EHS
  for assistance with spill cleanup.

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Used Oil

• A variety of vendors exist to recycle oil. Call
  EHS for information regarding oil recycling.
• Used oil must be stored in a fail proof container
  and must be clearly labeled with the type of oil.

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2. Emergency Response

• Know where your emergency equipment is make sure
  the equipment is not blocked.
• Have emergency phone numbers posted near the
  phone.

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Medical Emergencies

• Call 911 to report emergency
• Provide minimum first aid to prevent further
  injury to the victim.
• Follow other department procedures (meet
  paramedics)
• Complete an accident report form.

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Calling 911

• Report the locations nature of emergency
• Answer the dispatcher questions
• Meet emergency personnel at the door

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Chemical Splashes

• Get victim to safety shower and eyewash
• Flush for 15 minutes or until help arrives
• Remove contaminated clothing

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Eyes

• Quick response is important
• Flush for 15 minutes
• You may have to force the eye lids open
• Have the victim roll their eyes around

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Safety Showers and Eyewashes
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Fire Emergencies (If a fire occurs)

• Pull the fire alarm to evacuate the building
• Call 911 and report the location of the fire
• If you do call 911, be sure to meet the emergency
  personnel to give them relevant information and
  direct them to the exact location of the
  emergency.
• Isolate the fire (close fume hood sash or lock
  door)
• Confine or control the fire if possible
  Immediately turn off gas supplies and electrical
  power sources.
• Use an appropriate fire extinguisher

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Which Fire Extinguisher Do I Use?

• CO2 extinguishers are for flammable liquids
  (Class B fires) or electrical fire (Class C).
• Solid or dry chemical fire extinguishers can be
  used for all fires paper and wood (Class A),
  flammable liquids (Class B), or electrical (Class
  C) fires.
• Yellow Class D extinguishers are for metal
  fires.

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3. Chemical Spills

• All chemical spills that occur at West Virginia
  University should be reported to the departmental
  chemical hygiene officer and your supervisor.
• The spill report needs to include the date, time,
  location, and the chemical(s) and their volume.

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If a spill occurs

• Contact Environmental Health and Safety with the
  location of the spill and, if known, the chemical
  and volume spilled.
• If the spill presents an immediate danger, leave
  the spill site and control entry to the spill
  site.
• Notify nearby persons and evacuate as necessary.
  
• If flammable vapors are involved, do not operate
  electrical switches.

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Continued

• If the substance involved is an unknown, then
  emergency spill response procedures are limited
  to self-protection, notification of EHS,
  isolation of the chemical, and evacuating and
  securing the area involved.
• If the spill does not present immediate personal
  danger, try to control the spread or volume of
  the spill. Locate and retrieve the departmental
  spill kit for absorbent material.
• Do not touch the spill without protective
  clothing.
• Never assume gases or vapors do not exist or are
  harmless because of lack of smell.

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Spilled Liquids

• Confine the spill to small area.
• For small quantities of inorganic acids or bases,
  use a neutralizing agent or an absorbent mixture
  (soda ash or diatomaceous earth). For small
  quantities of other materials, absorb the spill
  with a nonreactive material (vermiculite, clay,
  sand, absorbent towels, pillows).
• For large spills contact Environmental Health and
  Safety and try to prevent the spill from
  spreading.
• Carefully pick up the bottles and the soiled
  absorbent material and place in a 5-gallon bucket
  with a label identifying the chemical. Contact
  EHS for disposal.

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Spilled Solids

• Sweep spilled solids of low toxicity into a
  dustpan and place them into a suitable container.
  Additional precautions such as the use of a HEPA
  filter vacuum cleaner may be necessary.
• Contact EHS for disposal.

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Mercury Spills

• Mercury is extremely dangerous and every effort
  should be taken to prevent spills.
• For small spills, a laboratory coat, safety
  glasses, and gloves should be used. The
  following gloves have been approved for use with
  mercury
• Chlorinated polyethylene
• Polyurethane
• Viton
• Butyl Rubber
• Polyvinyl Chloride
• Nitrile Rubber
• Neoprene

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Mercury Spills continued

• Please use a mercury spill kit to clean up a
  mercury spill. Call EHS for assistance.
• Wearing protective clothing, place the sponge,
  provided in the spill kit, rough side up on a
  level surface. The rough side contains the
  active material that will amalgamate mercury.
• Dampen the sponge with about 2ml of water.
  Spread the water evenly with a gloved finger and
  wait one minute. (Excessive water may reduce the
  ability of the sponge to pick up mercury).

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Mercury Spills continued

• With the active side down, slowly wipe the area
  contaminated with mercury. The mercury droplets
  will be amalgamated by the chemical layer of the
  sponge.
• The capacity of the sponge can be increased with
  a small amount of moistened HG Absorb Powder
  rubbed into the surface of the activated sponge.
• After finishing the Hg Absorb sponge should be
  returned to its plastic bag and disposed of.
  Contact Environmental Health and Safety for
  disposal.
• Air Monitoring
• Any mercury spill has the potential to generate
  airborne concentrations in excess of regulated
  levels. Please contact EHS at 293-3792 for air
  monitoring of the spill area.

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Leaking Compressed Gas Cylinders

• If a leak is suspected contact EHS at 293-3792
  and they will advise you to follow the
  appropriate action.

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Recommended Spill Kit Contents

• Supervisors in areas in which the potential exist
  for chemical spills, should store and maintain a
  spill kit.
• The contents of this kit (5 gallon bucket)
  include
• 1 Universal Spill Boom (Snake) 3X4
• 2 Universal Spill Pads
• 2.5 gallons of vermiculite
• 2 30 gallon trash bags
• Gloves
• Eye Protection
• 1 Hazardous Waste Label
• If you have any questions as to how to obtain
  these materials contact EHS.