LABORATORY SAFETY MANUAL

Laboratory Safety Manual Department of Metallurgical Engineering July 2000 IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS EMERGENCY (MEDICAL, POLICE, OR FIRE) - Phone 4300 Environmental Management Services, 108 Campus Support Facility Phone: 4489 Occupational Health and Safety, 108 Campus Support Facility Phone 4305 • General Safety Information • Dosimeter Badges • X-Ray Training • Information on Hazardous Waste Disposal Metallurgical Engineering Safety Officer David C Van Aken 272 McNutt Hall Phone: 4717 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the preparation of this manual, the authors have reviewed a number of publications devoted to the subject and have had numerous discussions with knowledgeable people in the university and elsewhere Their value in identifying and providing critical elements for this manual's structure and text has been significant We are grateful for this assistance and owe special appreciation to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for their DMSE Safety Manual, the American Chemical Society for their book, SAFETY in Academic Chemistry Laboratories, the Penn State Environmental Health and Safety Office, Department of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health at The University of Michigan for their manual, LABORATORY SAFETY: Practices for Progress and the UMR Environmental Health and Risk Management Program for their invaluable input and advice in putting together this manual Wayne Huebner, Ceramic Engineering David Van Aken, Metallurgical Engineering PREFACE Every student and staff member of UMR has the right to perform their work in a safe environment Likewise, each person working in a University laboratory has the obligation to know and exercise safe laboratory practices This manual is intended to provide general safety guidelines and sensitize the reader to some of the more common hazards that exist in the lab This manual is not an exhaustive treatment of the subject of laboratory safety As each person's concerns may be specific to their project, this guide hopes to point the reader in the right direction to obtain an answer to their specific questions When in doubt, contact Occupational Health and Safety Services, 1`08 Campus Support Facility, by phone at 4305 Most laboratory safety practice is common sense It is often automatically assumed that everyone is born with good common sense and therefore should practice good safety The problem is that one cannot ask the right questions if one is not aware of the potential hazards Furthermore, laboratory accidents not always result from ignorance of dangers but rather a diminished awareness of dangers within a familiar environment Good safety practice is a sense of awareness of potential hazards and being prepared Remember that safe laboratory practice is to our own benefit as well as our colleagues working in the labs with us A first step to setting up any experiment should be to take a few minutes to think through the potential hazards before proceeding These may involve chemical, electrical or mechanical dangers By taking a few minutes to think and ask the right questions we may prevent a unfortunate accident from happening to us, or setting a "booby trap" for our friends In order to keep this manual up to date and in accordance with the latest findings in safety procedures, all suggestions to improve this manual are welcome and should be directed to the department safety officer TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SAFETY EMERGENCIES AND FIRST AID 3.1 Emergencies 3.2 First Aid 3.2.1 Stoppage of Breathing 3.2.2 Severe Bleeding 3.2.3 Thermal Burns 3.2.4 Chemical Burns 3.2.5 Traumatic Shock 3.2.6 Head or Back Injuries SAFETY RULES 10 4.1 Personal Laboratory Practice 10 4.2 Laboratory Chemical Practice 12 4.2.1 Hazardous Chemicals 12 4.2.2 Chemical Spills 12 4.2.3 Glassware 14 4.2.4 Transporting Chemicals 15 4.2.5 Chemical Storage 15 4.3 Use of Laboratory Equipment 16 4.3.1 Gas Cylinders 16 4.3.2 Vacuum Systems 19 4.3.3 Distillations and Condensers 19 4.3.4 Drying Ovens 20 4.3.5 Furnaces 20 4.3.5.1 General Procedures 20 4.3.5.2 Removal of Organics in Furnaces 21 4.3.6 Rolling Mills, Swaging and Wire Drawing Equipment 21 4.3.7 Welding and Joining 22 4.3.8 Foundry 22 CHEMICAL HAZARDS AND SAFETY PROCEDURES 24 5.1 Unattended Chemical Reactions 24 5.2 Toxic Hazards 5.3 Acids and Bases 5.4 Organic Solvents 5.5 High Energy Oxidizers 5.6 Powders 5.7 Whiskers and Fibers 5.8 Metals 5.9 Use of Metallography Equipment in B7 & B9 McNutt Hall 5.9.1 Non-Hazardous Materials 5.9.2 Hazardous Materials CHEMICAL WASTE DISPOSAL RADIATION HAZARDS 7.1 Radioactive Materials 7.2 X-ray Equipment 7.3 Lasers 7.4 Ultraviolet Lamps ELECTRICAL HAZARDS AND SAFETY PROCEDURES 8.1 General Practice 8.2 Static Electricity and Spark Hazards 8.3 Induction Heating Equipment CRYOGENIC SAFETY 10 FIRE SAFETY RULES 10.1 Precautionary Procedures 10.2 Emergency Procedures 10.3 Electrical Fires 10.4 Guide to Classes of Fires and Methods of Extinguishing 11 REFERENCES 24 25 26 27 28 28 28 29 29 29 31 32 32 33 34 34 35 35 36 37 38 39 39 39 40 40 42 APPENDIX A: Example Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) APPENDIX B: Pick-Up Request Form for Chemicals APPENDIX C: Material Disclosure Forms for Metallographic Sample Preparation APPENDIX D: Definitions 43 52 55 58 1 INTRODUCTION Safety in the laboratory requires the same kind of continuing attention and effort that is given to research and teaching The use of new and/or different techniques, chemicals, and equipment requires careful preparation Reading, instruction, and supervision may be required, possibly in consultation with other people who have special knowledge or experience Each individual who works in a laboratory has a responsibility to learn the health and safety hazards associated with the materials to be used or produced, and with the equipment to be employed It is important for you to know what is expected of you and what your responsibilities are with regard to safety to yourself, your colleagues and our environment In addition, there are safety practices and safety equipment with which you must be thoroughly familiar if you are to work safely in the laboratory This manual should be used as a guide to the general types of hazards Specific information can be obtained from Occupational Health and Safety Services, 108 Campus Support Facility, by phone at 4305 2 FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SAFETY Our Safety Program incorporates only a few principles, but each one is essential These principles are: 1) practice safety, 2) be concerned about the safety of others, 3) understand the hazards associated with your particular experiment, 4) know what to in an emergency, and 5) report hazards or hazardous conditions 1) Practice Safety One problem concerning the practice of safety is that it is a subjective matter For example, some people consider smoking safe while others not In order to have an effective safety program, some common ground rules must be established This is the main purpose of this Safety Manual Some of the more basic safety practices that you are expected to follow are: a Do not perform unauthorized experiments b Upon entering the laboratory note the location of the closest fire extinguisher, first aid kit, eye wash station and chemical shower Their location will be specified on the laboratory door c Do not work alone in a laboratory It's unsafe and not recommended d Eating, drinking, and smoking are prohibited in all laboratories e Wear appropriate eye protection whenever working with any potential eye hazards (safety glasses, chemical goggles and face shields are available in the Laboratory Supply Rooms) f A laboratory coat or apron should be worn while working in the laboratory In general, shorts, skirts, brief tops, and sandals are not safe Further clarification of clothing requirements should be directed to the person(s) in charge of the laboratory in which you are working Confine all loose clothing, ties, and long hair Leave your jewelry at home g Do not wear contact lenses in the laboratory Fumes, gases, and vapors can easily be absorbed by the lens or trapped between the lens and eyes resulting in chemical burns or abrasive injury h Use a hood for hazardous, volatile, and noxious chemicals When conducting a procedure that may result in a violent reaction, use an American National Standard Institute (ANSI) approved face shield that is large enough to protect the neck area GOGGLES ARE ALSO REQUIRED i Wear protective gloves when working with chemicals to prevent skin absorption or j k l m infection Label an experiment to show its associated dangers and the person(s) to contact in case of a problem There should also be an up-to-date card posted visibly outside each room listing the responsible persons to call in the event of problems in the room You are further expected to secure all gas cylinders, to label all containers, to observe and obey all posted signs While the University provides safety equipment in the hallways of buildings, it is the individual's and their advisor's responsibility to provide safety equipment in the laboratories Visitors must be accompanied by a UMR staff member or graduate student at all times No children or pets are allowed in the laboratories It does not end here, because the list is actually endless Each situation requires its own safety practices, that you are expected to know or find out before doing an experiment Be Concerned About The Safety of Others Your concern for safety must include the people around you Your experiment must be safely maintained so that everyone in the area is amply protected and warned of inherent dangers In addition, this principle of looking out for the other person should include the practice of pointing out unsafe procedures to those people committing the unsafe act This practice could involve something as simple as reminding a friend to wear safety glasses Another aspect of this second principle involves alerting those around you of an accident It is your responsibility to alert personnel in the immediate vicinity of a fire or an emergency! 3) Understand the Hazards Associated with Your Particular Experiment Prevention is the key to safety Prior to designing any experiment, using a new piece of equipment, or handling chemicals in the laboratory, it is wise to consider the potential hazards and safety precautions involved in the work Hazards may include toxic substances, electrical circuits, mechanical equipment, and waste chemicals Safety precautions should include correct materials storage, proper ventilation, proper grounding of equipment, and training sessions when necessary Whenever possible, information about the unique hazards and precautions necessary for any type work should be prepared and made available to everyone working in the lab Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and equipment manuals are important sources of information (see appendix A) Prior to starting any experiments, a MSDS that includes toxicological information and special handling requirements should be obtained and read for each chemical to be used.Occupational Health and Safety Services personnel are available to review the project safety requirements and potential hazards with you An example of a MSDS for acetone is included in Appendix A UMR maintains a MSDS database on the world wide web and can be accessed directly from the home page or by the following bookmark: http://www.umr.edu/~msdshtml/ 4) Know What to in an Emergency You must be prepared to respond quickly and precisely to an emergency You must familiarize yourself with the laboratory you are working in, its exits, and its associated safety equipment: eyewash stations, showers, sinks, fire blankets, fire extinguishers, and spill kits A floor plan of each laboratory is located at the entrance which pinpoints the location of fire extinguishers and eyewash ... DMSE Safety Manual, the American Chemical Society for their book, SAFETY in Academic Chemistry Laboratories, the Penn State Environmental Health and Safety Office, Department of Occupational Safety. .. for their manual, LABORATORY SAFETY: Practices for Progress and the UMR Environmental Health and Risk Management Program for their invaluable input and advice in putting together this manual Wayne... each person working in a University laboratory has the obligation to know and exercise safe laboratory practices This manual is intended to provide general safety guidelines and sensitize the