Chemical Safety

Tim Wetzel
Chemical Engineering
December 10, 2009
Risk Assessment
Understand risks before performing
experiments
Know how to perform experiments
Know chemical properties
Know how to clean up spills
Know emergency procedures
Know risks to community
Risk Assessment
Level of protection should be appropriate
for a given risk
Basic safety protection significantly reduces
probability of an accident without being too
onerous
Use additional protection when necessary
Pr ( ) ( ) obability Accident Cost Accident

Routes of Exposure
Ingestion
No food or drink in the laboratory
No applying of makeup
Do not wear lab attire outside of lab
Inhalation
Experiments with hazardous substances performed in a fume
hood
Adsorption
Wear appropriate gloves
Wear closed toed shoes
Wear lab coat
Wear Safety goggles
Injection
Use caution when handling sharp objects
General Safety Practices
Minimize amount of material
Just in time ordering
Several small bottles instead of large bottles
Use only minimum necessary for experiment
Use less hazardous chemical
Remove old chemicals
Chemicals older than 10 years are rarely
necessary
Safety Attire
Laboratory Attire
Safety glasses
Lab coat
Hair pulled back
Closed toed shoes
Legs covered
Hazard Recognition NFPA
Examples of Hazards
3
ALK
2
0
Sodium Hydroxide
Hydrofluoric Acid
4 2
0
ACID
3
ACID
2
2
Glacial Acetic Acid
3 2
2
Lithium
W
MSDS Information
Material Safety Data Sheet
Physical Properties
Hazards
First Aid measures
Engineering controls
PPE

Must have a copy of MSDS for each chemical in
the laboratory for easy access in an emergency
Hazardous Chemicals Topics
Analyze risks and precautions for
important hazardous chemicals
Flammables
Toxics
Corrosives
Compressed Gasses
Flammable Chemicals
Risk
Chemicals can ignite to produce laboratory
fire
Prevention Techniques
Reduce concentration of vapors
Reduce ignition sources
Reduce amounts of substances outside of
cabinets
Properly handle spills
Fire Triangle
Three necessary
components
Eliminate one leg
and fire will be
extinguished
Fuel
Only have
flammables
necessary for
flammables in lab
Store excess
flammables in
cabinet
Close all bottles not
in use
Oxidizer
Typically oxygen in air
Reducing air contact kills
fires
Fire blankets deprive fires
of oxygen
Shut sash on fume hood
fires
Heat
Ignition sources
Open flame
Static Electricity
Sparks
Hot plate
Pouring water cools
fire
Fume Hoods
Manipulate
flammables in fume
hoods
Reduce vapor
concentration
Controls ignition
sources
Easier to handle
fires
Flammable Storage
Store excess
chemicals in
flammable cabinet
Use approved
refrigerator for cold
flammables
No more than 10 L
outside of cabinet
No more than 60 L
in the entire lab
Flammable Spill
Small spill
Alert coworkers
Contain the spill
Prevent vapor emission
Remove ignition sources
Use non-flammable
adsorbent material
Large spill
Alert coworkers
Remove ignition sources
Evacuate room
Call for assistance
Toxic Chemicals
Risk
Toxic chemicals react with tissue to produce
serious or deadly effects
Prevention Techniques
Reduce amounts of toxic chemicals in
laboratory
Hand chemicals in fume hood
Wear appropriate protection
Properly handle spills
Toxic Chemicals
All chemicals are toxic, dose is important

All things are poison, and nothing is
without poison, only the dose permits
something not to be poisonous
Paracelsus
Toxic Chemicals
Time horizons
Acute toxins produce reactions immediately
(within 14 days) on contact with tissue

Chronic toxins have delayed response often
manifested in months or years
Effect depends on exposure
Genetics
Dose Response
Dose has three components
Relative toxicity
Concentration
Exposure time
Relative Toxicity
Usually animal
studies with different
routes of exposure
Often measured in
concentration
needed to kill 50% of
population on a per
mass basis
LD
50
, LC
50

Relative Toxicity
Substance LD
50

Sucrose 29,700 mg/kg
Grain Alcohol 7,060 mg/kg
Methanol 7,300 mg/kg
Trizol 317 mg/kg
Carbon
Tetrachloride
429 mg/kg
Toxicity Handling
Follow prudent practices for prevention of
chemical contact
Wear appropriate gloves, eye protection and
clothing
Use fume hood or glove box to reduce
concentration and as a secondary barrier
Decontaminate before doing non-laboratory
activities
Minimize exposure time to chemical
Store according to chemical nature
Toxic Chemical Spill
For highly toxic chemicals do not attempt
to clean up any volume
Notify coworkers
Evacuate room and close doors
Call 911 or 67777
Give information on location, amount, chemical
nature
Wait for emergency responders
Corrosive Chemicals
Risk
Corrosive chemicals react with tissue
Corrosive chemicals react with metals
Prevention Techniques
Handle corrosives in fume hood
Wear appropriate protection
Neutralize spills
Corrosive Substances
Acids with pH <2
H
2
SO
4

HCl
Acetic Acid
Bases with pH > 12.5
NaOH
KOH
Corrosive Chemicals
React with skin to cause burns and
permanent tissue damage
Acids (not H
2
SO
4
) react to form protein barrier
Bases do not form protein barrier and can
penetrate deep into the tissue
Corrosives can cause irreversible damage
to eyes
Corrosive Protection
PVC and nitrile
gloves often
provide appropriate
protection
Use splash goggles
Use face shield if
splashing is
possible
Corrosive Compatibility
Corrosive + Flammable = Fire
Nitric Acid + Organic Solvent
Corrosive + Toxin = Toxic gas
Corrosive + Metal = Hydrogen gas
Corrosive + Water = Violent reaction
Corrosive Adsorbents
Have appropriate
spill clean up for
corrosives in
laboratory
Sodium
bicarbonate is
effective at
neutralizing acids
and bases
Small Corrosive Spill
Wear correct safety attire
Notify coworkers of spill
Contain spill to prevent spreading
Use suitable neutralizers to balance pH
Clean up the spill and properly dispose of
contaminated materials
Corrosive Storage
Acids and bases can
be stored in same
cabinet if secondary
storage like plastic
bins are used
Incorrect Corrosive Disposal
Compressed Gasses
Risk
Compressed gasses can act as missiles
Compressed gasses can be flammable, toxic,
or other wise hazardous
Compressed gasses can displace air
Prevention Techniques
Properly store gasses
Use correct regulator
Use proper moving techniques
Compressed Gasses
Gasses can
have enough
kinetic energy
to travel
through
concrete walls
Compressed Gas Storage
Valve cover
must be on
when not using
gas

Cylinders must
be upright and
firmly attached
Compressed Gas Handling
Do not move a
cylinder more than a
foot without a cart
Firmly secured
No never move
cylinder without having
a valve cap
Compressed Gas Storage
All cylinders must
be secured even
if they are empty
Separate
accordingly to
hazard class
Flammable
Oxidizer
Toxic
Compressed Gas Regulators
Must use correct
regulator
Dunning Hall

Regulator must be
closed when not
using tank
Other Important topics
Highly reactive chemicals
Water sensitive compounds
Peroxide forming chemicals
Perchlorates
Chemical Storage
Prevent accidental reactions by storing
chemicals accordingly to compatibilities
Flammables
Store in flammable cabinet
Do not store with corrosives or oxidizers
Corrosives
Separate acids and bases into secondary
containers
Toxic Storage
Store according to chemical class
Flammable cabinet for toxic flammables
Corrosive cabinet for toxic acids and bases
If neither flammable nor corrosive, specify
areas in the laboratory for storage of toxic
chemicals
Store below eye level
Chemical Waste
Store chemical waste into compatibility
classes
Keep containers closed when not in use
Label the concentrations and amount of
every chemical
HSE Disposal collection at Thursday 10:30
to 11:30, 1PM to 2PM Macaulay Hall
Use yellow tags
Unknown chemical costs $350 to analyze
Chemical Waste Accidents
Nitric Acid + Ethanol
Chemical Waste Transport
Use secondary containers such as plastic
tubs
Use cart to transport large amounts of
chemicals
Use freight elevators and avoid stairs
Avoid routes traveled by people
Chemical Safety Conclusions
Know the risk of chemicals
Know where to find specific risks
Know proper protective equipment for each
risk
Know emergency procedures
Know compatibilities
Know correct disposal