School of Chemistry Safety Manual

School of Chemistry Safety Manual

Please read the manual thoroughly and then complete the online Safety quiz prior to the final sign off of your Induction forms by the School of Chemistry Safety Officer(s).

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Index

Emergency Procedures

1.1 Building Evacuations

General Safety Rules
Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE)
Safety Glasses
Laboratory Coats
Footwear
Gloves
Hygiene
Overnight reactions
Working Outside Normal Hours
Visitors and Children
Safe Laboratory Practice
Fume Cupboards
Emergency Equipment
Housekeeping
Gas Cylinders
Liquid Nitrogen
Safe Management of Chemical Substances
Training
ChemWatch
Purchase of Hazardous Chemicals
Chemicals of Security Concern and Controlled Substances
Risk Assessments
Storage of Hazardous Chemicals
Segregation of Chemicals
Storage in Laboratory Cupboards and Dangerous Goods Cabinets
Refrigeration and Freezing
Volatile Chemical Storage
Transport of Chemicals
Labelling of Decanted Chemicals and Chemical Research Samples
Chemical Spill Management
Green Chemical Spill Kits
Disposal of Chemicals
Information on Destruction of Wastes
Neutralisation of Sodium Metal Residues
High Risk Chemical Substances
Hazardous Solvents
Explosive Substances
Perchlorates
Perchloric Acid
Other Explosive Compounds
Carcinogenic Substances
Scheduled Carcinogens
Potential Carcinogens
Toxic Substances (Poisons)
Cyanides
Mercury and its Compounds

Emergency Procedures

You should familiarize yourself with the EMERGENCY PROCEDURES booklet located beside each telephone. This booklet includes instructions for Emergency Evacuation.

In an emergency, use an emergency RED phone. If a Red Phone is not close by, call the emergency internal number 333 or 9905 3333 (mobile phone). In case of fire, you may also use the Fire Alarms located in various places throughout the School. Break the glass and press the alarm button. In the case of serious personal injury, First Aiders should assist with emergency treatment until medical personnel arrive.

Emergency Phone

1.1 Building Evacuations

Alert Signal: beep beepbeep

Evacuation Signal: whoop whoopwhoop

Leave the building via the nearest safe exit and proceed to the Assembly area as directed by the emergency wardens. DO NOT USE THE LIFT. Do not re-enter the building until directed by the building warden or the Fire Brigade.

Assembly points:

Building 19: <need map here>
Building 23: <need map here>
Building 86: <need map here>

General Safety Rules

2.1 Personal Protective Equipment

2.1.1 Safety glasses

Laboratory personnel and visitors MUST wear safety glasses at ALL TIMES in all laboratory areas that are signed. If prescription glasses are required, safety glasses must be worn over the top of prescription glasses. Glasses should fit tightly and be chosen for maximum eye protection.

Contact lenses should not be worn in laboratories because of the risk of chemicals being trapped under the lenses. If you have to wear contact lenses, you must also wear tight-fitting splash goggles.

2.1.2 Laboratory coats

Laboratory coats should be worn at all times in the laboratory, but not outside the building. They should preferably be made of 100% heavy-duty cotton. The use of pure polyester coats is prohibited. These are particularly dangerous because of their flammability and the low melting point of polyester.

2.1.3 Footwear

Closed shoes only (never thongs or open sandals) should be worn in laboratory areas.

2.1.4 Gloves

Gloves must be worn as part of personal protective equipment when indicated by the risk assessment.

The Faculty of Science store carries several types of gloves (Latex, Nitrile, Neoprene), use the most appropriate protection as determined by your Risk Assessment.

Gloves MUST be removed before leaving the laboratory to prevent chemical contamination of other areas in the School.

2.1.5 Hygiene

Laboratory coats should be removed and hands washed before leaving the laboratory.

2.2 Overnight Reactions

Every overnight experiment must be reported to the General Office by 4:00 pm and recorded in the overnight experiment book. The Office will notify Security that overnight experiments are being conducted.

Research students must have the apparatus checked and the card initialed by their supervisor, or a post-doctoral fellow if the supervisor is unavailable.

Unattended reaction form: <need link here>

2.3 Working Outside of Normal Hours

No one should undertake laboratory work outside normal working hours without a "buddy" (i.e. another person working in close proximity who can regularly check your safety every 30 minutes). The “buddy” must be a member of the School of Chemistry and must be suitably trained to deal with a chemical emergency situation should it arise.

TIME / 0:00 - 9:00 / 9:00 - 17:00 / 17:00 - 24:00
Sunday / After hours laboratory work - Low risk only - Buddy system applies
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday / After hours laboratory work - Low risk only - Buddy system applies / Normal working hours / After hours laboratory work - Low risk only - Buddy system applies
Saturday / After hours laboratory work - Low risk only - Buddy system applies
Holiday / After hours laboratory work - Low risk only - Buddy system applies

The "after hours book" (located near the Building 23S entrance) MUST be signed by anyone in School buildings between 19:00 and 07:00, and signed out on departure.Note that University First Aid facilities are NOT staffed outside official University working hours (8:45 am to 5:00 pm).

2.4 Visitors and Children

All visitors to the School are asked to report to Chemistry Reception in the first instance. Visitors are only permitted to enter a laboratory in the company of a member of staff, and must wear safety glasses and appropriate footwear and clothing while there.Children are not permitted in any part of the School except under the supervision of an adult.

Safe Laboratory Practice

3.1 Fume cupboards

All members of the School should read the Information sheet Use of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems Part 1. Fume Cupboards

Fume cupboards must be kept clean and uncluttered at all times and not be used as a repository for unwashed equipment. Sashes should be kept clean and unobscured by writing, stickers, or signage.

Most fume cupboards have a yellow "Recommended Sash Height" sticker, and the sash should be kept at or below this level when in use. OHSE recommends that the performance be tested on a regular basis to ensure that the face velocity and flow distribution are satisfactory.

3.2 Emergency equipment

Every laboratory should contain appliances to cope with fire or spill emergencies, including:

safety showers and eye-washers
fire blankets
fire extinguishers
a fire bucket with clean, dry sand or vermiculite
chemical spill kits.

The General Office must be notified immediately whenever one of these appliances is used so that it can be replaced or refilled.

Fire Safety Training is run as part of the Honour’s induction program in February each year.

3.3 Housekeeping

Empty Winchesters, boxes of chemicals and sundry equipment must not be stored on the floor or just inside doorways.
Fume cupboards are not intended for use as storage space. They should contain only equipment and chemicals actually in use or for use in the immediate future.
Malodorous substances and non-flammable solvent residues awaiting disposal should be kept in ventilated storage cupboards.
Workbenches should be kept in a clean dust-free condition and used only for short-term storage of samples and chemicals. They should not be used for storing dirty glassware.
Faulty taps, blocked sinks, faulty electric lighting and power, and other building faults, should be reported to the Reception Office immediately.
Cables and tubing should not be laid across open flooring.
All safety showers and eyewash facilities must be regularly flushed and checked to ensure they are fully functional. Any problems must be reported to the supervisor or Safety Officer immediately.

3.4 Gas cylinders

People using gas cylinders must do the online Gas Cylinder and Cryogenic training course.

All gas cylinders must be properly secured with a chain to prevent their falling and causing injury. They must only be moved on a trolley, and chained in position while doing so. Unused gas cylinders should not be stored in laboratories. Connections should be leak tested, and appropriate regulators used.

3.5 Liquid Nitrogen

The School of Chemistry liquid nitrogen facility is located in the courtyard outside the west exit of the south wing of Building 23. Prior to using the facility, people must do the online Gas Cylinder and Cryogenic training course and be trained by the Safety Officer (or authorised person).

The following safety equipment is available in the facility and their use is mandatory:

closed toe footwear
eye protection (safety glasses or face shield)
thermal gloves

Safe Management of Chemical Substances

All member of the School of Chemistry should read the Using Chemicals at Monash prior to commencing any laboratory work.

4.1 Training

Monash University has mandated that all staff associated with the School (with the exception of some administrative staff), including Monash academic staff, professional officers, adjunct partners, post graduate students and researchers MUST attend Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods Awareness training run by Staff Development Unit. Attendance can be booked online using the following link.

Please see Sarah Williams (School reception) for a cost centre and fund source as the School covers the cost of the training.

In addition, each research group/laboratory shall provide induction, instruction and or training on any SWI applicable to a task or process in which a hazardous chemical is used. This training MUST be recorded, dated and signed using the training record proforma (or similar worksheet) and be available to be viewed by OHS staff.

4.2 ChemWatch

ChemWatchis an online chemical management system and provides safety information including up to date MSDS(SDS), a chemical inventory for each laboratory, and printable labels for decanted chemicals and chemical samples. All university staff have access to the ChemWatch system via the link on the Monash University OHS website.

Each research group has a username and password for viewing and maintaining chemical stores and inventories. It is essential that all hazardous chemicals are entered into ChemWatch with the maximum quantity recorded and the Dangerous Goods classification manually entered if a ChemWatchMSDS(SDS) is not available.

Information on the use of ChemWatch can be obtained for the School Safety Officer(s). Users requiring further training can attend the courses run by Staff Development Unit which can be booked online using the following link.

Hardcopy MSDS’s (SDS’s) may be used in laboratories if required or are more convenient but MUST be labelled as “Uncontrolled Copy” and should be removed from the laboratory when no longer in use.

4.3 Purchase of Hazardous Chemicals

Prior to purchasing a hazardous chemical, consideration should be given to the possibility of substituting a chemical with less risk. Furthermore, the quantity purchased is to be kept to a minimum to reduce risks (eg of a chemical spill) and to avoid the cost associated with disposal of unwanted chemicals. The Monash Chemical Pre-purchase Checklist MUST be completed prior to ordering a new chemical that is either a hazardous substance or dangerous goods.

All chemicals purchases must be completed using a purchase order form, available from the School reception and have and accompanying MSDS(SDS) from the supplier. These will be signed off by the SoC Product Steward prior to forwarding to finance. Chemicals cannot be purchased online using a Monash credit card.

4.3.1 Chemicals of Security Concern and Controlled Substances

Some readily available chemicals, including some commonly used in universities, can be used to make homemade explosive devices. These and other toxic chemicals that can be misused may require further authorisation and/or documentation (eg end user declaration) prior to receipt of the chemical. The university and staff are empowered by license to possess certain controlled substances, such as drug precursors or scheduled carcinogens (see below). These may require additional arrangements such as secure storage, record keeping, and general control in accordance with the relevant permit conditions. Please see the School Product Steward (Dr. BoujemaaMoubaraki) for further information.

4.4 Risk Assessments

For any process or experiment using hazardous chemicals, a risk assessment must be undertaken and recorded prior to the commencement of the chemical process. The relevant sections of Risk Management Worksheet (need link here) must be completed in consultation with Monash Risk Management Chemical document and the Introduction to the GHS.

Depending on the complexity of the chemicals(s) or process, relevant staff, the School Safety Officer(s), or external experts should also be consulted. Finalised risk assessments must be reviewed at least every 3 years.

For chemical syntheses and synthetic chemistry research projects, a generic process risk assessment template and a generic safe work instruction are available (see below) which may be used for “ordinary” synthetic procedures performed on a regular basis. In situations where there is uncertainty about the degree of risk or there is a significant risk to health or of exposure or for more complex procedures, a more detail risk assessment should be completed and may involve additional information about health hazards and further control measures that may be required to minimise the risk.

S:\Sci-Chem\School-Resources\Standard Operating Procedures\Generic risk assessment for small scale synthtic reactions.docx

4.5 Storage of Chemicals

Containers or packages of chemicals may be stored in a range of configurations including:

general laboratory shelves or cupboards
Dangerous Goods cabinets
dedicated chemical stores
storage areas for gas cylinders and cryogenic fluids
bulk tanks or containers

In considering storage of hazardous chemicals, laboratory users shall refer to the best practice as specified in Australian Standards:

AS 1940-2004 The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids
AS/NZS 2243.10:2004 Safety in laboratories – Part 10 Storage of Chemicals
AS 3780-2008 The storage and handling of corrosive substances

Storage arrangements should be designed to minimise the risk of exposure (chemical spill) and reduce the potential fire risk (including the potential formation of toxic gases). See also: the Monash guidelinesStorage of Dangerous Goods in Laboratories, Studios and Workshops.

4.5.1 Segregation of chemicals

Incompatible chemicals must be segregated by distance or containment barriers sufficient to eliminate the risk of fire, explosion or accumulation of toxic gases or vapours from mixing of incompatible chemicals resulting from a leak or spillage etc. The principle source of guidance on conditions for safe storage and compatibility is the MSDS(SDS) for the relevant chemicals (see sections 7 and 10).

Examples include (but not limited to):

concentrated strong acids and alkali
cyanides and acids
strong oxidisers and flammable solvents

Chemical storage cabinets for specific Dangerous Goods classes (eg. Class 3, Class 5.1) shall not be used to store any other Dangerous Goods class.

Further information on the segregation of hazardous chemicals can be obtained from the Code of Practice for the Storage and Handling of Dangerous Goods, WorkSafe VIC, 2013 – Appendix 2.

4.5.2 Storage in laboratory cupboards and Dangerous Goods cabinets

Local storage arrangements are to reflect the following principles (in addition to requirements prescribed elsewhere in this manual).

Quantities of hazardous chemicals should be kept to a minimum.
Group the chemicals by chemical classification e.g. non-hazardous, hazardous substance only, dangerous goods
Segregate dangerous goods by class e.g. Class 3 Flammable Liquids, Class 6.1 Toxic Substances, Class 8 Corrosive Substances
Large quantities of dangerous goods should be stored in Australian Standard compliant chemical storage cabinets e.g. 25 L of flammable liquids in a small Class 3 flammable liquid cabinet.
The sump of a Dangerous Goods chemical storage cabinet shall not be used for storage
Store smaller quantities of dangerous goods in laboratory cupboards or on shelving with solids positioned above liquids and the different DG classes segregated using a separate laboratory cupboards for each class or by using separate plastic spill trays or tubs
Check the incompatibility of common substances to identify any possible problems within dangerous goods classes (eg. concentrated strong acids and concentrated strong alkalis) and further segregate chemical as required (see above).
Non-hazardous chemicals and hazardous substances that are not dangerous goods can generally be stored together and sorted alphabetically.

Please consult the Monash guidelines for Storage of Dangerous Goods in Laboratories, Studios and Workshops for further information.

4.5.3 Refrigeration and Freezing

Solvents such as diethyl ether; pentane and carbon disulfide have flash points below -20 °C, and can form explosive mixtures with air even at freezer temperatures. A spark from a light switch, thermostat or fan may detonate these mixtures. Refrigerators and freezers used for chemical or sample storage should be custom built or modified appropriately so that all electrical connections are external to the unit and there is no possibility of arcing. Signage indicating suitability for solvent storage must be affixed prior to use.

Refrigerators and freezers used for chemical storage, including aqueous solutions, must not be used for storage of food or drink for human consumption. Refrigerators for food storage of food must be labeled as such and must NOT be located in a laboratory.

Chemicals stored in refrigerators or freezers should be segregated according to their DG class. Containers of liquids should be placed in secondary spill containment.

4.5.4 Volatile chemical storage

Fume cupboards are not to be used for chemical storage. Malodorous volatile compounds (eg amines, sulphur compounds, phosphines etc) should be stored in a ventilated cabinet. Compounds should be segregated according to their DG class and liquids placed in secondary spill containment. Please consult the relevant MSDS for further information.