Know the physical and health hazards associated with the chemicals you are using. Carefully read the chemical's label and material safety data sheet (MSDS) before using a chemical for the first time. Also review the appropriate Standard Operating Procedure. These documents will provide any special handling information that you may need. After the potential hazards associated with the chemicals and the experimental processes are evaluated you can modify work procedures so that laboratory hazards are minimized or eliminated.
Keep the following guidelines in mind when handling chemicals:
For specific information regarding chemical handling, contact your supervisor, instructor or EHRS.
Local exhaust ventilation is the one of the best engineering methods available to reduce the health hazard risk associated with the use of hazardous chemicals in the laboratory. Laboratory fume hoods* are the most common local exhaust ventilation devices found in the laboratory. Fume hoods are used to prevent hazardous, offensive, or flammable gases and vapors from mixing with the general room air. A hood, especially with the sash down, acts as a physical barrier between the laboratory workers and chemical reactions. The hood can also contain accidental spills of chemicals.
* Note that laboratory fume hoods and biosafety cabinets, although similar in appearance, are extremely different devices. Biosafety cabinets are used for protection against exposure to biological materials and should not be used with chemicals unless properly vented. If you are uncertain about the type of hood in your laboratory check with the principal investigator.
Check the MSDS, appropriate Standard Operating Procedure, or chemical label for special ventilation requirements, such as:
Ventilation recommendations must be adapted to the work site and the specific process.
Check your hood before each use. Contact your building administrator if the alarms sounds or if you detect a problem. The building administrator will place an orange Hood Out of Order sign on the sash of the hood. A hood must never be used when this orange sign is present.
A mechanic will evaluate the hood and make the necessary repairs. Once the hood is repaired it will be flow tested by Environmental Health and Radiation Safety. If the hood's face velocity is adequate the orange sign will be removed. Persistent problems with fume hoods or repair delays longer than 5 working days should be reported to EHRS.
To be effective, laboratory fume hoods must be installed and used correctly. The National Research Council in Prudent Practices for Handling Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories; (1981) recommends that the following factors be remembered in the daily use of hoods:
Lab workers must, at a minimum, wear lab coats and safety glasses in the laboratory. Additional protective equipment may also be required. Shorts and sandals may not be worn into the lab even under a lab coat
Personal protective devices are to be used only where engineering and administrative controls cannot be used or made adequate, or while controls are being instituted.
Engineering and administrative controls to reduce or eliminate exposures to hazardous chemicals include:
The MSDS and University Standard Operating Procedure will list the personal protective equipment recommended for use with the chemical. The MSDS addresses "worst case" conditions. Therefore, not all of the equipment shown may be needed for a specific job.
The employer must provide appropriate personal protective equipment to employees.
Eye and face protection must be worn whenever its use will reduce or eliminate injury. It is recommended that eye protection be worn in the laboratory whenever chemicals are in use.
The need for adequate eye protection is fundamental to the use of chemicals, including housekeeping materials such as wax strippers, detergent and toilet bowl cleaners, and operations such as grinding, drilling, sawing with power tools. Eye protection, and at times face protection, is required wherever the potential for eye injury exists. Areas where eye protection must be worn are laboratories, glass cleaning and glassblowing shops, and machine shops or any area where active or automated work with chemicals is conducted. Eye protection is required for all personnel and visitors in these areas. No personnel may enter laboratories where chemicals are being handled or automated processes are in operation without eye protection.
Ordinary (street) prescription glasses do not provide adequate protection. (Contrary to popular opinion these glasses cannot pass the rigorous test for industrial safety glasses.) Adequate safety glasses must meet the requirements of the standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection (ANSI Z.87.1 1989) and must be equipped with side shields.
Safety glasses with side shields do not provide adequate protection from splashes, therefore, when the potential for a splash hazard exists other eye protection and/or face protection must be worn.
Splash goggles (acid goggles) with splash proof sides or a face shield must be used when protection from a chemical splash is needed.
Face shields afford protection to the face and neck. Face shields must be worn if there is an explosion or implosion (pressure or vacuum) hazard and when transferring cryogenic liquids.
Special eye protection is available for protection against laser, ultraviolet (UV), welding and brazing, or intense light sources.
Managers, supervisors, and principal investigators should refer to the appropriate University Standard Operating Procedure to determine the type(s) of eye and/or face protection necessary.
Eye protection must be made available to employees, students and visitors, at no cost to them, when the potential for eye injury exists.
If you have any questions regarding the selection of appropriate face protection, call Environmental Health and Radiation Safety at 215-898-4453.
Penn has a prescription safety eyeglass program that makes low cost prescription safety eyewear available to all employees. Use the information request form (Appendix H) to request details on this program or go to our web page, www.erhs.upenn.edu.
In conjunction with Acquisition Services, the Office of Environmental Health & Radiation Safety has established a program to offer University personnel an opportunity to obtain low-cost, prescription safety eyewear in a location close to campus. Pennsylvania Optometrics, located at 3600 Market Street, is the approved vendor for the University of Pennsylvania.
Departmental approval is required to obtain prescription safety eyewear.
Laboratory employees must visit Pennsylvania Optometrics with a copy of their current corrective lens prescription to select a frame style.
Pennsylvania Optometrics will provide the laboratory employee with the price of the prescription eyewear selected. It is the responsibility of the departmental business administrator or other responsible person to approve the purchase.
Please call for exact pricing information:
Pennsylvania Optometrics
Kathy Wolf
215.387.3600
Lab Coats
Lab workers must wear lab coats while in a lab where chemicals are being handled. Lab coats should not be worn outside of the lab. The employer (principal investigator) must provide lab coats and lab coat laundering services at no cost to all employees who work in the lab. Shorts and sandals should not be worn under a lab coat.
Disposable nitrile gloves provide adequate protection against accidental hand contact with small quantities of most laboratory chemicals. These gloves provide a non chemical resistant barrier between the worker's hand the reagent. Lab workers who contaminate their gloves should immediately removed them, wash their hands and don new gloves. Gloves should not be worn outside of the lab. Latex gloves are not recommended for laboratory use.
Lab workers should contact EHRS for advice on chemical resistant glove selection when direct or prolonged contact with hazardous chemicals is anticipated. The selection of the proper glove requires knowledge of the health and physical hazards of the chemical that is used; familiarity with the glove manufacturer's test data (permeation rate and breakthrough time) and the length of the hand exposure. Lab workers should not select chemical resistant gloves based on data from generic selection charts.
If your work requires the use of a respirator, you must receive special training from EHRS. Do not use respiratory protective equipment until you have received proper training.
Respirators are designed to protect only against specific types of substances and in certain concentration ranges, depending on the type of equipment used. Never use a respirator unless you have been assigned one and have been trained and fit tested by the Office of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety.
Respirator selection is based on the hazard and the protection factor required.
Types of respiratory protective equipment include:
You should familiarize yourself with the limitations of each type of respiratory protective equipment used and the signals for respirator failure (odor breakthrough, filter clogging, etc.).
Respirators are not to be used except in conjunction with a written respiratory protection program.
Skin and body contact should not occur during routine lab operations that involve small quantities of laboratory chemicals. Any lab activity that is anticipated to result in body contact must be evaluated by EHRS.
Lab staff must wear lab coats when handling hazardous chemicals to prevent against body contact that may result from accidental spills and splashes.
Chemical protective clothing in the form of disposable work suits should be provided for the rare instances where body contact is anticipated or when extremely toxic chemicals are handled. Special attention must be given to sealing all openings in the clothing. Tape can be used for this purpose. Caps should be worn to protect hair from contamination. Selection of the protective clothing shall be made by EHRS.
All locations within the laboratory where acutely toxic, carcinogenic, or reproductive hazards are handled should be demarcated with designated area caution tape. Preprinted tape is available from EHRS (see Appendix G), the Cell Center or the Chemistry stockroom. Alternately the lab worker may write designated area on yellow tape and use that. Areas that should be designated include all fume hoods, sinks and bench tops where the acutely toxic, carcinogenic, or reproductive hazards are handled. The tape should be used in the same manner as radiation caution tape; the lab worker may designate an area only during the time the chemical is used and then remove it or may permanently designate an area and leave the tape in place.