Hazard Communication

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Hazard Communication Laboratory Safety

• September 2008

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Laboratory Safety

• Safety in the workplace
• Safety
• Accidents
• Emergencies
• Hazards and Risk Assessment
• Who is Responsible for Workplace Safety

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Laboratory Safety Management Regulatory
Agencies

• Standards operating principals or requirements
  related to many areas in addition to safety. Many
  safety regulations are voluntary.
• Regulations operating principals required by
  law.
• Areas that have standards and regulations
• Worker safety
• Environmental Protection
• Use and Handling of Animals
• Regulation of Radioisotopes

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Regulatory Agencies

• Prudent Practices in the Laboratory. Handling and
  Disposal of Chemicals. National Research Council,
  National Academy Press. Washington, D.C. 1995
• Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical
  Laboratories 4th U.S. Department of Health and
  Human Services, Public Health Service Centers for
  Disease Control and National Institutes of
  Health. U.S. Government Printing Office 1999.

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Regulatory Agencies

• OSHA web site http//www.osha.gov
• EPA web site http//www.epa.gov
• Other Government Agencies that have regulatory
  oversight
• Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

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Institutional Responsibility

• OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health
  Administration)
• Federal Hazard Communication Standard (HCS)
  regulates the use of hazardous materials in
  industrial workplaces. It focuses on the
  availability of information concerning employee
  hazard exposure and applicable safety measures.
  Right to Know Law.
• workplace hazard identification
• written hazard communication plan (CHP)
• files of Material Data Safety Sheets for all
  hazardous chemicals
• clear labeling of all chemicals
• worker training for the safe use of all chemicals

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Institutional Responsibility

• 1990 Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals
  in Laboratories Standards (29 CFR Part 1910)
• mandates the development of a chemical hygiene
  plan (CHP) for every institution. The CHP is a
  written manual that outlines the specific
  information and procedures necessary to protect
  workers from hazardous chemicals.

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Chemical Hygiene Plan

• Items that must be addressed in the CHP
• General chemical safety rules and procedures
• Purchase, distribution, and storage of chemicals
• Environmental monitoring
• Availability of medical programs
• Maintenance, housekeeping, and inspection
  procedures
• Availability of protective devices and clothing
• Record keeping policies
• Training and employee information programs
• Chemical labeling requirement
• Accident and spill policies
• Waste disposal programs
• Emergency response plans
• Designation of safety officer

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Environmental Protection

• Environmental Protection
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has primary
  responsibility for enforcement of laws to prevent
  environmental contamination with hazardous
  chemicals.
• Clean Water Act
• Safe Drinking Water Act
• Clean Air Act

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Environmental Protection

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Provides a system for tracking hazardous waste,
  including poisonous or reactive chemicals from
  creation to disposal (cradle to grave)
• Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) designed to
  regulate chemicals that pose health or
  environmental risks.
• Establishes chemical inventory and record keeping
  requirements. Allows EPA to ban or control
  hazardous chemicals in commerce.

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Laboratory Responsibility

• Laboratory Responsibility
• Institutions have policies, but these policies
  need to be implemented at the individual
  laboratory level.
• Commitment to risk reduction should be a clear
  and constant goal for all members of the
  laboratory group.

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Laboratory Responsibility

• Designation of a safety officer (committee)
• safety advisor to laboratory
• ensure that safety procedures are documented
• act as a liaison with the institutions safety
  officers
• communicate policy changes to co-workers
• coordinate internal safety inspections
• ensure that equipment is properly maintained
• keep records of hazards and problems within the
  laboratory

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Laboratory Responsibility

• Labeling and Documentation
• Lack of proper labeling is one of the most common
  OSHA citations against laboratories.
• Labeling should provide identification to new
  workers and emergency personnel

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MSDS

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• A legally required technical document provided by
  chemical suppliers that describes the specific
  properties of a chemical.
• http//msds.ehs.cornell.edu/msdssrch.asp

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MSDS

• No specific format.
• Types of information typically provided
• Chemical name
• Chemical supplier
• Composition and ingredients information
• Potential health effects
• Exposure levels, with specific concentrations and
  times
• First Aid Procedures
• Fire fighting procedures
• Accidental release procedures
• Handling and storage procedures
• Recommended personnel protection
• Physical and chemical properties
• Stability and reactivity
• Toxicological information
• Environmental impact
• Disposal Recommendations
• Transportation information
• Regulatory information

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Laboratory Responsibility

• Job Safety Analysis a detailed step by step
  analysis of each step in a procedure identifying
  hazards and outlining accident prevention
  strategies.
• Housekeeping
• Clean Up after yourself!
• Balances, Centrifuges, other common equipment.
• Freezers and Refrigerators

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Laboratory Responsibility

• Emergency Response
• All Personnel should be familiar with basic
  emergency responses.
• At least one person trained in CPR and basic
  first aid
• First aid kit must be readily accessible and
  fully stocked
• All required protective devices such as fire
  extinguishers, fire blankets, and eyewash
  stations must be well marked and easily
  accessible.
• Emergency telephone numbers and instructions
  should be prominently displayed b y each phone
• Evacuation routes should be kept well clear of
  boxes and clutter.

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Laboratory Responsibility

• Laboratory Rooms should be labeled
• Hazard Diamond System (SM p614) rates chemicals
  according to their fire, reactivity, and general
  health hazards
• Scale of 0-4 0 being non-hazardous, 4 being very
  hazardous
• Biohazard Warning signs
• Biosafety Levels (SM p642)

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Biosafety Levels

• All associated with Standard microbiological
  practices, special practices, safety equipment
  (primary barriers), and laboratory facilities
  (secondary barriers)
• BSL1 is suitable for work involving well
  characterized agents not known to consistently
  cause disease in healthy adult humans, and of
  minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel
  and the envioronment.

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Biosafety Levels

• BSL2 is similar to Biosafety Level 1 and is
  suitable for work involving agents of moderate
  potential hazard to personnel and the
  environment.
• BSL3 is applicable to clinical, diagnostic,
  teaching, research, or production facilities in
  which work is done with indigenous or exotic
  agents which may cause serious or potentially
  lethal disease as a result of exposure by the
  inhalation route.

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Biosafety Levels

• BSL4is required for work with dangerous and
  exotic agents that pose a high individual risk of
  aerosol transmitted laboratory infections and
  life-threatening disease.
• Animal Biosafety Levels when experimental
  animals are being used.

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Personnel Responsibility

• Personnel Responsibility
• Ultimately it is up to you the individual
  laboratory worker who is responsible for his/her
  safety and the safety of their coworkers-after
  all it is you who has the most to lose, your
  health, eyesight, or life.

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Personnel Safety Practices

• Be sure that you are informed about the hazards
  that you encounter in the laboratory.
• Be aware of emergency protocols.
• When in doubt about a hazardous material or
  procedure, ask.
• Use personnel protective wear such as lab coats
  and safety glasses
• Do not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum in the
  laboratory.
• Avoid practical jokes and/or horse play
• Use gloves when in doubt
• Wash your hands regularly

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Personnel Safety Practices

• Always wash your hands thourougly before leaving
  the laboratory
• Disinfect your workspace before starting work and
  when finishing
• Read the labels of chemicals carefully
• Read procedures before performing them and
  visualize hazardous steps
• Minimize use of sharp objects (needles, broken
  glass) and know how to dispose of them
• Clean up spills and pick up any dropped items
  immediately
• Label everything clearly
• Use a fume hood for chemicals and solvents that
  you can smell, has known toxic properties, or is
  unfamiliar to you.
• Record everything in your lab notebook
• Always report accidents, however minor.

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Laboratory Safety

• Text References
• General Safety Guidelines Chapter 2
  Introduction to a Safe Workplace pages 19-32.
  Physical Hazards Chapter 28 Working Safely in
  the Laboratory General Considerations Physical
  Hazards pages 595-612.
• Chemical Hazards Chapter 29 Working Safely
  with Chemicals pages 613-637.
• Biological Hazards Chapter 30 Workng Safely
  with Biological Materials pages 639-662.
• Seidman and Moore, Basic Laboratory Methods for
  Biotechnology

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Physical Hazards

• Fire
• Bunsen Burners
• Autoclaves
• Compressed Gas Cylinders
• Broken Glassware
• Razorblades and needles
• Electrical Equipment
• Ultraviolet light

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Chemical Hazards

• Flammable Chemicals
• Reactive Chemicals
• Corrosive Chemicals
• Toxic Chemicals
• See Chapter 29 Tables 29.1,2,3,56.

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Biological Hazards

• Guidelines Regulations pertaining to Biological
  Hazards (Table 30.2)
• Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical
  Laboratories CDC/NIH
• OSHA Bloodborn Pathogens Standard OSHA
  29CFR1910.1030
• Guidelines for research involving recombinant DNA
  molecules NIH
• Biological Safety Manual for Research involving
  Oncogenic viruses NCI
• Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
  ILAR
• Animal Welfare USDA 9CFR parts 1,2,3

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Risk assessment

• Risk Assessment for Biological Agents (Table
  30.1)
• Is this a known human or primate pathogen?
• What is the history of laboratory use of this
  organism or agent and what are the recognized
  risks?
• Has this agent been associated with a laboratory
  acquired infection and if so what were the health
  effects of that infection?
• Is there an effective treatment or preventative
  vaccine?

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Biological Risk Assessment

• Does this agent frequently induce sensitivity or
  allergies in workers?
• What is my potential susceptibility as a function
  of age, sex, or medical condition?
• How can I limit my exposure to the agent?
• What are the recommended safety precautions for
  this agent and are they being practiced in this
  laboratory?
• Is the estimated risk acceptable to me?

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Std. Microbiological Practices

• Standard Microbiological Practices (Table 30.3)
• Access to the laboratory should be limited to
  trained personnel
• Lab coats and Eye protection should be worn at
  all times
• Workers should wash their hands after any work
  with microorganisms and whenever they leave the
  lab
• Eating, drinking and smoking in the laboratory
  are prohibited
• Hand to mouth, or hand to eye contact should be
  avoided
• Mouth-pipetting of any substance in the
  laboratory is prohibited
• Steps should be taken to minimize aerosol
  production
• Work should be performed on a clean impervious
  bench surface with an appropriate disinfectant
  available
• Work surfaces should be decontaminated after any
  spill and at the end of every work session
• All biological materials should be properly
  decontaminated before disposal

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Lab Assignment

• Draw a floor plan of the laboratory showing lab
  benches, and lecture desks. Include in your
  drawing the following Exit(s)
• Fire Extinguishers
• Eye Wash Stations
• Safety Shower
• Fire Extinguisher
• Fire Blanket
• Hand-washing sink
• Master gas shutoff
• Master electricity shut off
• First-aid kit
• Biohazardous waste container
• Sharps containers
• Broken glass containers
• Routine garbage containers
• Chemical disposal containers
• MSDS File

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• After observing and/or discharging a dry chemical
  fire extinguisher answer the following questions.
• What class of fire extinguisher did you discharge
  or observe being discharged?
• Could you use this type of fire extinguisher on
  an electrical fire? A solvent (chemical) fire? A
  combustible metal fire?
• Outline the steps you took to operate the fire
  extinguisher.

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• Practice using a fire blanket. After using the
  fire blanket answer the following questions.
• Are there any obstacles to using the fire
  blanket?
• How could you rearrange things so that there is
  unimpeded access to the fire blanket?

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• List 3 items of personal protective equipment
  available in the laboratory.
• a.
• b.
• c.

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• What items are found in the laboratory first aid
  kit?
• Hazard Analysis
• Conduct a safety audit of the laboratory listing
  any observed safety violations. Discuss these
  safety violations with your laboratory partners.
• What steps would you suggest to remove or reduce
  these violations.
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