Jarvis Environmental Engineering Laboratories Manual

8.0 Chemical Lab Safety (Jarvis-Specific)

This chapter focuses on chemical safety and expands on material in the CSEE Safety Training Manual.

8.1 Training: Anyone working in a laboratory must be properly trained. Refer to Section 3 on required training for Environmental Engineering Labs.

8.2 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs): In each laboratory the MSDS for every chemical within that lab must be available. Anyone working in that lab must be able to produce such a MSDS upon request.

There is an MSDS binders in 217 Jarvis for all chemicals being used in the Environmental Engineering Labs.  You must verify that all chemicals you are using have an MSDS in that binder.  If a chemical is not listed, print out an MSDS from online and place it in the binder.  MSDS sheets are to be organized in alphabetical order by chemical name. UB EHS provides links to several MSDS databases on their website.

8.3 Chemical Hygiene Plans (CHPs): Every laboratory must have a CHP in it. The CHP lists emergency phone numbers and procedures on its first page. It also contains valuable safety practices and requirements. Anyone working in that lab must be able to produce the CHP upon request.

8.4 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): For every procedure that is routinely carried out in a lab, and for each piece of equipment in a lab, there must be a corresponding SOP in the SOP binder stored in 217 Jarvis. New SOPs must be submitted to the department, where they will be reviewed. Once approved, a copy will be placed in the SOP binder.  The SOP must address all health and safety concerns associated with the equipment’s operation.

8.5 Chemical Spill Kits: There must be a spill kit in every laboratory. The use of spill kits is covered in the mandatory safety training required before one can work in the laboratory. In the event of an actual spill, if there is any doubt about being able to clean up a spill safely, UB Environment, Health and Safety Services should be called for assistance (2222 from an on-campus phone; 645-2222 from a cell phone).

8.6 Safety Equipment: It is your responsibility to know the location of first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, safety showers, eye-wash stations, etc. that serve your labs.

In the Jarvis Labs, each lab is equipped with a first-aid kit and fire-extinguisher.  Two additional fire extinguishers are located in the 2nd floor hallway of Jarvis (across from 217 Jarvis & in between 220 and 222 Jarvis).  Safety showers are located in 209 and 217 Jarvis. There is an eye-wash station located in the hallway across from 213 Jarvis.

Eye-Wash Stations: To use the eye-wash, turn on the faucet (being careful not to use very hot or very cold water) and pull out on the pin on the faucet eye-wash fixture. The small green caps should pop off, providing two streams of water for washing the eyes.

8.7 Laboratory Evacuation Plan: Laboratories should have an evacuation plan for emergencies. At the minimum, a rallying point should be designated where all occupants of that lab will meet. This will help emergency responders identify who may still be trapped within the building, the nature of the emergency, etc.

8.8 Call-In Tags: Every laboratory door must have a call-in sticker on it giving contact information about all who use that space. Any person running an experiment in a lab should have their name on that lab's call-in tag. The call-in sticker must be updated at least once per year.

8.9 Storage of Chemicals and Compressed Gases:
Isolating Incompatible Wastes
Chemicals must be stored so that incompatible chemicals are segregated from each other. For example, it is required that

• Reactive chemicals be segregated from ignitable chemicals,
• Acids be segregated from caustics,
• Corrosives be segregated from flammables,
• Oxidizers be segregated from all other chemicals, and
• Organic reactives be segregated from inorganic reactives

Additionally, there is a limit on the amount of flammable chemicals that can be stored in any one laboratory. These limits vary depending upon the presence of sprinklers, use of flammable storage cabinets and other factors. UB Environment, Health & Safety Services  should be consulted to determine the allowable quantity of flammable material in any particular laboratory.  Bottles containing liquids must be placed in secondary containment trays of sufficient volume to hold the contents of the bottle, should it break; incompatible materials should not be stored in the same secondary containment tray.
Rules on chemical storage and segregation also apply to wastes that are stored in satellite waste accumulation sites (see hazardous waste disposal).

Compressed Gas Cylinders
Compressed gas cylinders must be secured using a chain or strap so that they cannot tip over. If a cylinder is not in use, the regulator should be removed and the cap reinstalled. Cylinders may only be moved using a cylinder cart (which includes a chain for securing the cylinder), and the regulator must be removed and the cap installed during the move. Piping or tubing connected to gas cylinders must similarly be secured and provision must be made for pressure relief should the pressure regulator on the cylinder fail. If compressed gases are present in a laboratory, the door to that laboratory must display a compressed gases sticker.

Next Section: Hazardous Waste Disposal

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